Articles tagged "Penticton"
New reverse osmosis equipment at BC BTAC to help beverage industry
March 18, 2022
The burgeoning beverage industry has more quality assurance equipment at its disposal thanks to Okanagan College’s British Columbia Beverage Technology Access Centre (BC BTAC). The BC BTAC has acquired a reverse osmosis (RO) system for use at its Penticton-based facility, in support of research and development among beverage manufacturers. “Reverse osmosis systems can be significantly beneficial as the industry adapts to climate change impacts,” said Wes Peterson, BC BTAC Manager. “Many growers are concerned about how environment...
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OC’s Penticton campus hosts Chief Clarence Louie for a discussion about his book, Rez Rules
March 14, 2022
Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie will discuss his book, Rez Rules: My Indictment of Canada's and America's Systemic Racism Against Indigenous People, during a talk at Okanagan College’s Penticton campus next week. Louie was elected chief of the Osoyoos Indian Band in 1984 and has led his community for four decades since. He is known for focusing on economic and business independence in order to strengthen his community, which struggled with poverty. “Chief Clarence Louie is one of the most recognized First Nations leaders...
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Trades General Interest courses come to Penticton
March 2, 2022
What do hammers, bicycles and lawnmowers have in common? They are all topics in the new Trades General Interest programs launching at Okanagan College’s Penticton campus this month. The courses provide community members with the opportunity to learn hands-on skills in state-of-the-art trades shops with qualified instructors. The courses are scheduled in the evening and on weekends. Courses are also available for children in the evening and during summer camps. Participants will gain knowledge in various trades, build projects and l...
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Meet Kylee Seddon-Johnstone, SBT graduate
January 19, 2022
Q: What is your name? A: Kylee Seddon-Johnstone Q: What are your pronouns? A: She / Her / Hers Q: Where is your hometown and where are you located now? A: I grew up in Naramata, B.C., left for 10 years after high school and then returned back to Naramata to raise my two girls. I’m currently working out of my home office. Q: What did you take at OC? When did you graduate? A: I took the Sustainable Building Technology Diploma (formerly known as the S...
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Meet David Sawatzky, SBT graduate
January 19, 2022
Q: What is your name? A: David Sawatzky Q: What are your pronouns? A: He / Him / His Q: Where is your hometown and where are you located now? A: Originally from Kelowna, B.C., now I am located in Coldstream, B.C. where I am working on projects in the central and north Okanagan. Q: What program did you take at OC? When did you graduate? A: I completed the Sustainable Building Technology Diploma (formerly Sustainable Construction Management Technology D...
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Meet Brendon Gray, SBT graduate
January 19, 2022
Q: What is your name? A: Brendon Gray Q: Where is your hometown and where are you located now? A: I’m a second generation born and raised Kelowna resident. Q: What program did you take at OC? A: Electrical Apprenticeship and Sustainable Building Technology (SBT). Q: What is your current position? A: Principal at Egnite Sustainability and Registered Energy Advisor. Q: Why did you choose your program at OC? How does it relate to what you’re doing no...
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New year brings new career by starting studies in January
November 15, 2021
The coming year brings new career training opportunities for Shaylyn Douglas. Douglas will be returning to the classroom in January with her sights set on training to advance her career in health care at In addition to beginning the Practical Nursing Diploma program at the Penticton campus, Douglas received a financial boost to aid her studies when she won the $5,000 Tuition Giveaway Contest. “I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to pursue until I had the opportunity to interact with patients in the phys...
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TOTA award remembers George Hanson, supports viticulture student
November 8, 2021
Winemaker George Hanson, who passed away in February, was widely acknowledged for his efforts to grow the B.C. wine scene. A new award funded by the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) will commemorate his legacy, while helping a viticulture student at Okanagan College to cultivate their future in the industry Hanson so dearly loved. TOTA has donated $1,500 to create the George Hanson Memorial Bursary, which will be open to students in the College’s Viticulture Certificate program starting in January. “We are very please...
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Okanagan College professors pen in-depth book on history of Canadian corrections
October 22, 2021
Discourse about the lived experiences of those behind bars is about to break free across the country, with a special virtual book launch event next week. Okanagan College Sociology Professor Melissa Munn and History Professor Chris Clarkson joined forces to co-author Disruptive Prisoners: Resistance, Reform and the New Deal, published this fall by University of Toronto Press. The book is a collective biography that reconstitutes the histories of Canada’s federal prison system in the mid-20th century – constructed after years of e...
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Edible garden project at OC’s Penticton campus to feed students, community members
June 29, 2021
A partnership between Okanagan College's Penticton campus and the Medical Arts Research Group is helping to root out food insecurity amongst students and local families. An edible garden program is being established on the north end of the Penticton campus, with the aim to provide fresh vegetables to students and food bank patrons in the community. Medical Arts Research Group donated the wood and fence material for the project. Raised garden beds were built in May by students in the Women in Trades Training program, and install...
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Meet Kurt Albrechtsen, Kinesiology student
March 4, 2021
Q: What’s your hometown? A: I’m from Williams Lake, located in the Cariboo region. Q: How did you end up at Okanagan College? A: I originally made my choice to come to by the recommendation of a friend who had attended previously and had a wonderful experience here. Q: How did you choose your program? A: After playing rugby and soccer all through my life, and having experienced injuries from both, as well as other activities like mountain biking and boxing, I...
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Meet Aleena Isobe, Criminal Social Justice student
February 9, 2021
Q: What’s your hometown? A: Vernon, B.C. I grew up here and I’ve always been so grateful for the natural beauty that surrounds us. Q: How did you end up at Okanagan College? A: I had always planned to do a couple years of college before going to university so I had time to adjust to the differences between high school and post-secondary, so I chose a local college that had courses that interested me. Q: How did you choose your program? A: I’ve always been fasci...
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Meet Jordan Boultbee, Kinesiology student
February 9, 2021
Q: What’s your hometown? A: Penticton, British Columbia. Q: How did you end up at Okanagan College? A: I first began at Okanagan College, back in 2013 the year following my graduation. I was playing junior hockey for the Penticton Vees, but wanted to keep my mind sharp, so I enrolled in a few college-level courses. I returned to Okanagan College around 2015 in the Trades program, before finally realizing my passion and enrolling in the Human Kinetics program in 2018...
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Meet Ty Sideroff, Kinesiology student
February 9, 2021
Q: What’s your hometown? A: I was born and raised in Summerland. Q: How did you end up at Okanagan College? A: Exiting high school, I was unsure of what I wanted to do. I felt that the Okanagan College in Penticton was a low-risk, high-reward option. Staying local was important to me, but it was also hard to argue with small class sizes, hands-on labs and affordable tuition. Q: How did you choose your program? A: I’ve always been fascinated by the human body and ...
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Meet Brian Rippy, SBT Professor
December 9, 2020
Q: What is your education and background? A: Undergrad in Civil Engineering and Bio Resources, and a Master's in Sustainable Design. Q: What is your area of interest? A: Beautiful, healthy and regenerative buildings. Q: When did you know you had found your discipline? A: When I discovered the impact that the built environment has on our planet, social fabric, health and wellness. Q: Why did you choose to work at Okanagan College? A: It presented an opportun...
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Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence
December 2, 2020
Students at the Penticton campus experience education and training in one of the most sustainable educational buildings in Canada: the Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation. They are learning in one of the world's greenest buildings; a structure that is as much a lesson in itself as it is a place to learn. It is a building that incorporates made-in-B.C. innovation as much as it serves to promote it. I...
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