Mohawk College Newsroom

East Hamilton church home to 2nd Mohawk College and Ontario Trillium Foundation community building project

Sat, 08 Mar 2014 08:48:03 -0500

Delta United Church in East Hamilton will be a one-of-a-kind classroom for a crew of 100 Mohawk College students for the next three weeks.

Building Renovation students from Mohawk's skilled trades campus in Stoney Creek are carrying out major renovations at the Ottawa Street church in partnership with the Ontario Trillium Foundation until March 28. The church's Friendship Hall, used by more than 400 people each week, will be completely gutted with a new floor, ceiling, windows and lighting installed. Students will also build a new fully accessible entrance to the church.

Mohawk became the first Ontario college to partner with the Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2013 with complete second storey renovations to the Old Firehall Arts Centre in Ancaster. This year, the Ontario Trillium Foundation is providing a $49,272 grant to Delta United Church while Mohawk students and faculty volunteer their time and labour. Building Renovation coordinator Brad MacDonald incorporated an annual community project into his program curriculum seven years ago to give students real-world experience applying their skills and working on job sites. The partnership with the Ontario Trillium Foundation has allowed students to take on a much larger year-end renovation projects.

Generously supporting the 2nd annual Mohawk College - Ontario Trillium Foundation community building project with donations and discounted building supplies, equipment and services are:

The Mohawk Students' Association

The Mohawk College Association of Continuing Education Students

McGowan's Insulation

Ironstone Entrance Technologies Inc.

Clare Interior Supplies Ltd.

All-Pro Door and Hardware

Fastenal

Skytec

Infrastructure Health and Safety Association

Turkstra Lumber

Stephensons Rental

Pinchin Environmental

Hank's Painting

Centura Flooring

Sherwin Williams

Barton Glass

And providing crew lunches for the students are local Hamilton restaurants:

The Bull and Politician

Leghorn's

Buddy's Roadhouse

Shenanigans

End Zone Bar and Grill

For more information on the project, email program coordinator Brad MacDonald at bradley.macdonald3@mohawkcollege.ca.

For a preview of the Mohawk-Ontario Trillium Foundation community building project at Delta United Church, watch this episode of MoCast.

MoCast Episode 19 now available on YouTube

Thu, 20 Feb 2014 09:25:30 -0500

Episode 19 now available on Mohawk’s YouTube channel. This week’s news roundup includes an interview with Director of Student Engagement and Athletics Michelle Ball on the upcoming OCAA Women's Basketball Championships being held at Mohawk at the end of February. We shine a spotlight on two Social Service Worker students who organized this year's Accessibility Awareness Day in March, and we visit the site of this year's Community Builders project at Delta United Church in east Hamilton.

In case you missed it: Episode 18

Got a story idea? Pitch it to us. Email sean.coffey@mohawkcollege.ca or jay.robb@mohawkcollege.ca in Communications.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6HFJTc6HUk&w=560&h=315]

Building Reno grads and brothers Chris and Jason Ford receive first Hamilton-Halton Home Builders' Association award

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:52:23 -0400

Congratulations to Building Reno grads Chris and Jason Ford on winning the first-ever award from the Hamilton-Halton Home Builders' Association. The two brothers will graduate from Mohawk's Construction Engineering Technician - Building Renovation program this Spring and have already started their own business: Ford Brothers Construction. The HHHBA created the $2,500 award to help recent grads of the Building Reno program who are starting their own business. The award was presented at the program's annual Meet the Grad Night on Thursday, April 18th, (l-r) HHHBA 2nd Vice President Allan Roshko, Chris Ford, Building Reno professor Brad MacDonald, Jason Ford, and HHHBA Executive Officer Mathieu Langelier.

Video: Final Day of the 2013 Community Builder's Project at Theatre Ancaster

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:03:32 -0400

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dCa25gMozs&w=560&h=315]

Mohawk College launching Community Builders Project, 100+ students to renovate North End community centre servery

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:08:05 -0500

Mohawk College professor Brad MacDonald will get a helping hand when he returns with 100 students to renovate a community centre in Hamilton’s north end during March Break.

Students and faculty from Mohawk’s McKeil School of Business and Mohawk’s Graphic Design Production program will join forces with MacDonald and his Building Renovation and Carpentry Apprenticeship students to launch the Mohawk College Community Builders Project. The first annual project will have the students and faculty renovate the servery at St. Peter’s HARRRP Community Centre on Main Street East.

Approximately 100 Building Renovation and Carpentry Apprenticeship students will renovate the community centre’s servery and chancel in early March. To support the renovations, students from the McKeil School of Business Financial Services program will solicit sponsorships and gifts-in-kind, the School’s Event Management students will organize a community celebration and donor appreciation event while Graphic Design students will produce promotional materials for the project.

MacDonald has incorporated a week-long community renovation project into his program for the past three years. “Students get hands-on learning and they get to help build a stronger community,” says MacDonald, who got his students involved at St. Peter’s HARRRP this past March.

During the 2011 Mohawk President’s Breakfast, MacDonald received a $5,000 MaryLynn West-Moynes Grant for Inspiring Learning, Leadership and Citizenship to support the Mohawk Community Builders Project. Students will replace flooring, cabinets and counters and install an island in the community centre’ servery and complete renovations in the former chancel (the space around the altar for clergy and the choir). The wish list for appliances in the servery includes a commercial dishwasher, two electric stoves, two microwaves and two refrigerators.

HARRRP Executive Director Rev. Sue-Ann Ward says the renovated servery will support North Hamilton neighbours and community groups who meet free-of-charge at the community centre. St. Peter’s HARRRP is open for 12 hours a day and six days of the week.

“Our new servery will be well used by many neighbors,” says Ward. “The servery will be used to prepare after-school snacks for children from the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre, treats for seniors after their Tai Chi lessons and cups of tea for members of the Muslim Women’s Committee. Our new servery will make our centre an even more welcoming place for all of our partners to gather and create healthy and vibrant communities.”

To support the Mohawk Community Builders Project at St. Peter’s HARRRP, contact Financial Services professor Christine DiCarlo at 905.575.1212 ext. 3619.

Online applications will be accepted later this Spring from nonprofits interested in working with students and faculty on the 2013 Mohawk College Community Builders Project.

Mohawk College delivers a quality education to 12,000 full-time and 4,000 apprenticeship students and 42,000 continuing education registrants. In the Ontario government’s latest key performance indicator survey, Mohawk finished first among all colleges in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area for quality of learning and programs, services and facilities and overall student and graduate satisfaction.

HARRRP is a non-profit charitable organization that runs community centres in specific Hamilton neighbourhoods that provide free programs and services to help residents deal with the impact of poverty and other challenges. The north-end neighbourhoods served by HARRRP are “at-risk” in terms of income, health, school graduation, crime, housing, food security and all of the other usual yardsticks.