(NORTH BAY-Nov. 29, 2023) – Canadore College in North Bay, Ontario, and Dawson College in Montreal, Quebec, will be working together to improve the overall well-being of their respective campuses and communities. The two institutions recently signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on advancing a Sustainable Happiness Certificate. Pioneered by Dr. Catherine O’Brien, the certificate defines sustainable happiness as that which contributes to individual, community, and global well-being without exploiting other people, the environment, or future generations. Participants in the course will explore the implications of sustainable happiness, both personally and professionally.

Canadore and Dawson are members of the Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) network of institutions working on the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Both institutions were selected for two consecutive years as national demonstration sites to create living labs through CICan’s ImpAct-Climate Campus Living Labs project. They will collaborate to develop the sustainable happiness certificate for students, employees, and communities abroad, provide mentorship, and share best practices to achieve a high rating with the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education for integrating sustainability across all campus sectors. This effort will track sustainability efforts at Canadore to celebrate the work that has been done while identifying opportunities for further integration. Dawson College has already achieved a gold rating.

Quotes:

“We are inspired by the Living Campus at Dawson College and the passion shown by their staff and students. This partnership will provide an opportunity to collaborate to advance the SDGs, share best practices, and work together to improve the well-being on our campuses, in our communities, and abroad.” — Jesse Russell, Sustainable Canadore Project Lead

“Our entire team was most impressed by the integration of inter-generational programming; walk-in clinics for the community, the presence of Indigenous learning, and a stunning natural landscape. Our partnership, a result of CICan’s network of colleges working together on sustainability initiatives, will hopefully showcase still more advancement of collaborative projects.” — Chris Adam, Dawson College, Office of Sustainability

“Our respective locations and our varied educational approaches offer two unique filters through which to share sustainability initiatives. We are excited by this opportunity to learn from each other.” — Diane Gauvin, Director General, Dawson College

“We are confident that the Canadore/Dawson partnership will strengthen the presence of the Sustainable Happiness Certificate in North Bay, and that Canadore can take a national lead in applying sustainable happiness to seniors through a positive aging program,” — Jenn de Vera, Dawson College Office of Sustainability.

“Canadore College is pleased to be collaborating with Dawson College on such important work. We have already achieved so much towards our sustainability goals, and this partnership will help us reach many more, in particular when it comes to the sustainable happiness of our campuses and our communities.” — George Burton, Canadore College President, and CEO

“Dawson College and Canadore College have many things in common, including a shared vision for a more sustainable future. Our unique attributes as two leaders on sustainable development position us to be stronger together as we collaborate on leveraging our skills, resources, and ability to make a difference in the world. We thank Colleges and Institutes Canada for their international leadership and connections in making our new collaboration a reality.” — Shawn Chorney, Canadore College Vice President Strategic Infrastructure, Indigenous, and Learner Services.

About Canadore College

Canadore College trains people through applied learning, leadership, and innovation. It provides access to over 80 full-time quality programs and has outstanding faculty and provides success services to students from nearly 400 Canadian communities and 25 international countries. The College, its students, and alumni add $402.5 million to the Nipissing Parry Sound service area economy. Approximately 1,000 students graduate from Canadore each year, and they join 70,000 alumni working across the globe. Canadore receives less than 50 per cent of its traditional funding from the provincial Ministry of Colleges and Universities and relies on its own innovation and entrepreneurial endeavours and generous donors for the balance.

About Dawson College

Since 1969, Dawson College has offered transformative, innovative, and unique educational experiences. Today, the downtown Montreal CEGEP offers six pre-university programs, 22 career programs, and a variety of opportunities to continue learning through Continuing Education and Community Services. Dawson, which has pledged to be Carbon Neutral Forever, is rated gold by The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

For more information contact

Cindy Males
Public Relations and Communications Specialist
Canadore College
705-475-2538
cindy.males@canadorecollege.ca