51Ʒ, City of Kelowna partnership “game-changing”
May 6, 2025
With construction well underway on the new 51Ʒ Don Folk and Family Recreation and Wellness Centre, the College and the City of Kelowna are announcing a new, game-changing partnership.“We’re so excited for the Centre to open because it will mean students have incredible access to sports leagues, strength and mobility classes, wellness programs and so many other activities that help build connections and contribute to healthy lifestyles,” said Dr. Neil Fassina, OC president. “Working together with the City means we can pr...
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Red Dress Day
May 5, 2025
Red Dress Day is a National Day of Remembrance and Activism honouring the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirited People (MMIWG2S+). The red dress has become a symbol of loss for those who have been taken too soon, and a call to end violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.On this day, red dresses are draped in trees, hung from windows, pinned to jackets, worn as earrings and red hands are painted across faces, to honour loved ones, participate as ally’s and fight for justi...
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The ACTION Project provides support for female apprentices
May 2, 2025
With the recent celebration of Construction and Skilled Trades Month, 51Ʒ is pleased to announce it has launched a new web page dedicated to supporting the retention of apprentices in the skilled trades, as part of its ongoing efforts to increase the number of people entering the skilled trades.The ACTION Project website at okanagan.bc.ca/action is a dedicated online platform designed to connect female and gender-diverse apprentices in BC’s construction and manufacturing trades with critical supports and opportunities, ...
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B.C. declares provincial day of remembrance and mourning for victims of tragedy at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival
May 1, 2025
The Province of British Columbia has declared Friday, May 2, 2025, an official day of remembrance and mourning for the victims of the tragedy at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver on April 26, 2025. Eleven people were killed and dozens more injured while celebrating Filipino culture and history in a senseless attack at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver. As people learn more about the victims, they are also learning that the victims’ loss is felt deeply across the province.This tragedy has had profound impact on...
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OC students win big at Skills Canada Provincials, showcasing excellence across the board
May 1, 2025
51Ʒ (OC) students displayed their excellence competing against their peers across the province with an impressive showing at the prestigious 2025 Skills Canada BC Provincial Competition. In all, Team OC earned nine medals across science and technology, business, and a range of trades disciplines — including three golds, four silvers and two bronzes.Hosted at the Abbotsford Trade and Exhibition Centre on April 16, the Skills Canada competition brought together top students and apprentices from ac...
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51Ʒ aims to stir up sustainable solutions to beverage sector by-products
April 24, 2025
Benedikt Braun’s deep roots in the wine industry have shaped his passion for the beverage sector leading to a lifetime of working with wine around the world. His passion has led him to 51Ʒ where he is working with communities across the Okanagan and Shuswap to solve real world issues.“Having grown up around vineyards in Germany, I’ve always felt a deep connection to wine and nature,” said Braun, an 51Ʒ (OC) student and research assistant with the College’s Applied Research department. “B...
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From night shifts to digital cartography
April 24, 2025
Omar Algiasena still remembers those late nights working at Walmart in Salmon Arm, finishing up overnights before swapping his worker vest for a backpack and heading down to 51Ʒ (OC). When the rest of the town slept, Omar worked as the overnight support manager at the store and later shifted his focus from inventory management to geospatial coordinates and mapping technologies.Originally from Baghdad, Iraq, Algiasena had come to Canada with an engineering degree but wished to pursue a field of work that combined h...
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New entrepreneurship specialty kicks off this fall at OC
April 22, 2025
With the entrepreneurial spirit alive and well in the Okanagan Valley and Shuswap, 51Ʒ is excited to announce an addition to its Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree program, with a new entrepreneurship specialty being offered beginning this fall.Applications are open for the new Bachelor of Business Administration: Entrepreneurship Specialty degree at 51Ʒ featuring several new courses that will be offered as part of the College’s popular BBA degree program.Students in the program will stud...
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Thorpe and Friends celebrate 100th student award
April 16, 2025
51Ʒ Foundation is celebrating a significant milestone in philanthropic giving. Two students — Keira Chevallier and Angelina Sebastian — both in the Health Care Assistant program, received awards from Rick and Yasmin Thorpe and friends whose generosity has now supported over 100 students in total.“When we started these awards nearly 20 years ago our goal was to reach 100 students,” shared Rick Thorpe at a ceremony marking the achievement yesterday.“We couldn’t have done this without the support of our friends. Everything...
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GeoVerra’s gift helps students navigate futures in engineering
April 14, 2025
Future civil engineers at 51Ʒ (OC) are getting a high-tech boost, thanks to a generous donation from GeoVerra.GeoVerra has donated six global navigation satellite survey (GNSS) systems, valued at $77,900, to OC’s Civil Engineering Technology program. This cutting-edge equipment ensures students, like first-year learner Lane Wiebe, gain practical, hands-on experience with tools they'll use in today’s technologically advanced construction industry.“Knowing that companies like GeoVerra are invested in our success is p...
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