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Events, Initiatives and Training

Healthy us. Healthy campus. Rise and thrive at Ontario Tech.

Your Human Resources health and wellness supports and services, including the Healthy Workplace Committee are committed to providing the university community with opportunities to engage in activities that promote employee optimal health and well-being. Check out this web page often for updates on offerings that support a holistic approach to building a healthier workplace. 

Do you have an idea for an event, speaker or initiative? The Healthy Workplace Committee welcomes your input, email wellnessatwork@ontariotechu.ca.

Current and Upcoming

  • 2025 Just For the Health of it Photo Contest: Extended to September 19th!

    People, Places, Pets and Pastimes

    To support the university’s commitment to a healthy workplace, the university’s Healthy Workplace Committee (HWC) is pleased to announce the annual photo contest!

    In response to feedback received, a new category has been added – pastimes! Get ready to snap photos of your favorite hobbies,  ways you relax, re-charge and/or compete!

    Photos should capture and clearly display images that fit into one of the following:  

    • Category A – People (Don’t forget work peers!)
    • Category B – Places
    • Category C – Pets
    • Category D – Pastimes

    Images must be accompanied by a caption identifying how the subject of the photo has supported your well-being. Tell us a little bit about your entry!

    The HWC will announce winning photos and award prizes in late September. 

    Please visit the Photo Contest web page for full contest details.

  • Ridgeback Run Club – Summer 2025

    Whether you’re preparing for the Chancellor’s Challenge or looking to get moving, join the Ridgeback Run Club (RRC)!  The RRC is open to all levels and runs rain or shine. 

    Upcoming Dates:

    • Thursday, August 28
    • Thursday, September 4
    • Wednesday, September 10
    • Tuesday, September 16

    Time: 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. (Start running at 12:16 p.m.)

    Location: Meet at the front doors of Shawenjigewining Hall (east side of the building)

    Get Active Questionnaire:
    We want you to have a safe and enjoyable run experience, so please complete the Get Active Questionnaire and email your completed copy to wellnessatwork@ontariotechu.ca prior to attending your first run.  If you answer ‘yes’ to any questions within the Questionnaire, please review the Reference Document. 

    Register Today!

  • Climate Town Hall: September 5

    Climate Town Hall

    Join the Office of Campus Infrastructure and Sustainability for a Climate Town Hall on Ontario Tech's Downtown Campus. The goal of this event is to encourage community discussion about concerns, ideas, sentiments, and thoughts related to the climate crisis.

    Additionally, there will be an opportunity to engage with local government agencies including Durham Region and Oshawa MPP Jennifer French, as well as environmental organizations like A Greener Future, Plant Based Treaty, Friends of Second Marsh, and Climate Justice Durham.

    Light refreshments will be served. The town hall will be followed by a clean up of Downtown Oshawa, facilitated by A Greener Future.


    Date: Friday, Sept 05, 2025
    Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM - Followed by a community clean up
    Location: Downtown Campus - Charles Hall

    Register for tickets.

  • Campus Market: September 9 & 16

    Shop local, sustainable, and delicious! Join us at our summer campus market to browse affordable produce grown right on the campus farm, along with honey, candles, and freeze-dried fruits. 

    A free store pop-up will also be available, offering donated items from campus residence including clothing, household items, school supplies, shoes, and kitchenware, all completely free!

    September

    Date: Tuesday, Sept 09, 2025
    Time: 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM
    Location: North Campus – Polonsky Commons

    Date: Tuesday, Sept 16, 2025
    Time: 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM
    Location: Downtown Campus - Charles Hall

  • Bird Safe Campus

    Collisions with windows are estimated to kill 25 million birds in Canada a year. With biodiversity loss threatening the wellbeing of the planet, the Office of Campus Infrastructure and Sustainability has decided to take action by tracking bird window collisions on campus with the hopes of eventually retrofitting high collision zones to be visible to birds.

    Register to become a Bird Safe Campus volunteer to perform external surveys of campus buildings to collect essential data on bird-window collisions at Ontario Tech.
    Any questions or comments can be emailed to sustainability@ontariotechu.ca.

     

    Volunteer resource bank:

    Bird Safe Campus Protocol

    Cheat sheet for building survey information (includes contact for local wildlife centres)

    Bird Window Collision Tracking Form

  • Health Safety and Wellness Fair: Thursday, October 30

    Save the Date

    The 2025 Health Safety and Wellness Fair is scheduled for Thursday, October 30 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Founding Deans Atrium (SCI_W_ATR).  Stay tunded for updates on the Health Safety and Wellness Fair web page.  Hope to see you there!

  • Crucial Conversations for Employees: November 3 - 7

    When it comes to the health of relationships, teams, and organizations, one thing affects everything: communication. Backed by 30 years of social science, Crucial Conversation skills represent the standard in effective communication. Improve your skills and get better outcomes by attending a training course.

    The communication skills taught in this training focus on a specific kind of interaction: those when stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong. This is not a course on winning friends or winning people to your way of thinking; it’s about strengthening relationships and securing results in the moments that matter most.

    This course teaches nine powerful skills for working through disagreement to achieve better resources: Get unstuck, Master my stories, Start with heart, State my path, Make it safe, Learn to look, Seek mutual purpose, Explore others’ paths, and Move to action.

    Crucial Conversations: Employees

      • Date: Monday, November 3, 2025 to Friday, November 7, 2025 (2.5 hours x 5 days)
      • Time: 9:30 a.m. to noon
      • Location: Virtual
      • Target Audience: Employees

    REGISTER

  • Crucial Conversations for Managers/Directors: November 10 - 14

    When it comes to the health of relationships, teams, and organizations, one thing affects everything: communication. Backed by 30 years of social science, Crucial Conversation skills represent the standard in effective communication. Improve your skills and get better outcomes by attending a training course.

    The communication skills taught in this training focus on a specific kind of interaction: those when stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong. This is not a course on winning friends or winning people to your way of thinking; it’s about strengthening relationships and securing results in the moments that matter most.

    This course teaches nine powerful skills for working through disagreement to achieve better resources: Get unstuck, Master my stories, Start with heart, State my path, Make it safe, Learn to look, Seek mutual purpose, Explore others’ paths, and Move to action.

    Crucial Conversations: Managers/Directors

    • Date: Monday, November 10, 2025 to Friday November 14, 2025 (2.5 hours x 5 days)
    • Time: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm
    • Location: Virtual
    • Target Audience: Managers/Directors
      Note: Participants must attend all dates to receive their certificate.

    REGISTER 

Reoccurring

Learning and Development

Please contact Julie Day, Health and Disability Management Specialist, with questions or if you should require an accommodation in order to participate in any of the events.