This evening, May 11th, Mayor Jim Watson presented the Key to the City to Algonquin College at a ceremony at City Hall.
Founded in 1967, the College was established when its two predecessors, the Eastern Ontario Institute of Technology, founded in 1957, and the Ontario Vocational Centre, founded in 1965, merged. Algonquin College was named after the local First Nations tribe that called the area home. The College has three local campuses, in Ottawa, Pembroke and Perth.
Algonquin College has produced over 160,000 graduates, many of whom have made significant contributions to the City. College graduates include former Mayor Larry O'Brien, community leaders such as Peter Tilley, artists like Michelle Valberg, and radio personalities such as Stuntman Stu and Angie Poirier. According to the social media platform LinkedIn, the City of Ottawa is the largest employer of Algonquin College graduates.
Quotes
"It's an honour to present the Key to the City to Algonquin College, and to see the many thousands of graduates the school has produced apply the skills and talents they acquired during their college years to make Ottawa the great city it is. This award is in recognition of 50 years of transforming hopes and dreams into lifelong success."
- Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson
"Algonquin College is truly honoured to receive the Key to the City at a time when we are reflecting on the vital contributions of the many employees who built the college over the past half century. This acknowledgement underscores not only their tremendous work, but also the important role the College and our alumni have played in Ottawa's past. It also signals the value of our work and the influence of our graduates in the years to come. We accept this recognition in celebration of the past, with great pride in our present, and tremendous hope for the future."
- Algonquin College President Cheryl Jensen
Key Facts
- The Key to the City
- The Key to the City is Ottawa's most prestigious award.
- An ornamental key is presented to esteemed residents, visitors and others whom the City of Ottawa wishes to honour.
- This practice has a symbolic meaning evoking medieval walled cities, the gates of which would be guarded during the day and locked at night.
- The key symbolizes the freedom of the recipient to enter and leave the city at will as a trusted friend of city residents.
Some former recipients include:
- Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth (now, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II)
- Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
- Author Margaret Atwood
- Photographers Yousuf and Malak Karsh
- The Community Foundation of Ottawa
- Actress Sandra Oh
- Ottawa Senators former Captain Daniel Alfredsson
- The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
- Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek
- TV and radio news journalist, Michel Picard
Algonquin College
- Algonquin College is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2017.
- Over 160,000 students have graduated from Algonquin College since it opened.
- The college offers:
- 269 Ontario College programs
- 52 online programs
- 14 Apprenticeship Programs
- 31 Co-op Programs
- 5 Collaborative Degree Programs
- 5 Bachelor Degree Programs
- Algonquin has 21,059 full-time students, 1,290 full-time employees, and 3,126 part-time employees across campuses in Ottawa, Perth, and Pembroke.
- Notable alumni include:
- Jason Blaine: Country music star
- Jon Cassar: Emmy-winning Hollywood producer and director of the TV series 24
- Janice Dean: Fox News Weather Specialist
- Jon Dore: Comedian
- Collin Douma: Senior Vice President, Global Digital Planning Director at BBDO New York
- John Geleynse: Director, Technology Evangelism at Apple Inc.
- Tom Green: Comedian
- Dave Hale: CEO of Soshal Group, Marketing Magazine 30 Under 30 (2012)
- Sue Holloway: Medal-winning Olympian, Kayak, and first woman to ever compete at the Winter and Summer Olympics
- Neil MacDonald: CBC Washington Bureau Chief
- Norm MacDonald: Comedian
- Ian Millar: Medal-winning Olympian, Equestrian
- Larry O'Brien: Former Mayor of the City of Ottawa (2006-2010), businessman
- Dan O'Toole: FOX Sports TV anchor
- Angie Poirier: Majic 100 Morning Show Co-Host and CTV Ottawa Morning Live Co-Host
- Véronique Rivest: Second best sommelier in the world (2013), top female finalist ever in the competition
- Stuart "Stuntman Stu" Schwartz: Majic 100 Morning Show Co-Host, Ottawa Senators home game announcer
- Peter Tilley: Executive Director, Ottawa Mission
- Michelle Valberg: Award-winning Canadian photographer
- Much like the City of Ottawa, all future Algonquin College facilities will be built to LEED standards. Currently, four Algonquin College buildings are LEED certified.
