As you may know, Humber is committed to having a healthy and inclusive community. This means that even though some staff and students are on campus and others are working and learning from home, health and wellness is still a priority for all.

Here are some of the ways you can stay active and stay engaged this term.

Off-campus Options

For all staff and students working off-site and learning online, Humber Athletics will continue to offer its wide range of virtual activities to support overall physical and mental health and wellness.

Live and on-demand fitness classes include strength training, yoga, circuit training, kickboxing and more.

We are also continuing to offer virtual personal trainers to help you achieve your personal best.

Ontario Collegiate Recreation also launched their first competitive Gaming League this Fall. You can find out more about eSports at Humber here.

On-campus Options

Beginning the week of September 14, Humber Athletics began a pilot project of the re-opening of the fitness centres at the North and Lakeshore Campuses for staff required to be on-campus and students living in residence. This provided an opportunity for Humber Athletics staff to monitor and review the current processes in place at the centres.

Now that the initial reopening phase has concluded, Athletics staff are confident in moving forward with Phase Two, which will include access for all students who have on-campus courses to use the fitness centres through a reservation system.

Phase 2: Week of September 28

As Humber continues to limit the number of people on campus to only what is necessary, students who have a course on campus may use the fitness centre for their scheduled workout only on the day(s) they are on campus for academic purposes. The fitness centres will continue to be open to students living in residence on campus.

Humber staff who are working regularly on campus as part of their Faculty or department’s return to campus plan continue to have access.

Fitness Centre Reservation System

In alignment with industry best practices and current safety protocols for contact tracing, Humber Athletics will move to an online reservation system for booking workout slots at our fitness centres. There will no longer be drop-in hours available and all on-campus students, residence students, and staff are required to pre-register their workout time.

Slots are available in 90-minute* increments as follows:

North Campus Fitness Centre – Monday through Friday: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m.

Lakeshore Campus Fitness Centre – Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m.

• Can be booked up to 14 days in advance and 1 minute prior to any given time slot.
• Select your campus from the booking page, pick a date from the calendar and then select your desired time slot.
• Complete the registration form and reserve your place.
• Limit one reservation per day, restricted to the day of campus access for students (academic purposes) or for staff (manager approval).

*Please note your 90-minute session will include check-in time, use of the fitness facility, and departure.

Fitness Centre Protocols

To gain access to the Fitness Centre individuals must follow these protocols:

• Reserve your Fitness Centre timeslot online at our booking page.
• All students must bring their student card to swipe in for contact tracing.
• Staff must bring their staff ID card, and swipe in for contact tracing purposes.
• Come dressed and ready for your workout. Minimize the items you bring with you and avoid the use of change rooms and/or lockers.
• Masks or face coverings are mandatory when entering the fitness centre and when in common spaces. Masks may be removed when using the equipment.
• When entering the Lakeshore Fitness Centre, staff and students must present their completed Guardian App prior to entry.
• Towel service and showers are not available at either location.
• Follow all COVID-19 policies and protocols in place with respect to patrons cleaning their own equipment, physical distancing, and directional signage and flow.
• Fitness centres are limited to 30 guests per time slot.
• Fitness centres will be closed after each 90-minute workout slot for cleaning and sterilization.

For more information or to ask any questions please email Humber Athletics.

As many within the Humber community are aware, the Orangeville Campus will be closing in June 2021. 

As we move through this final academic year, we want to highlight the achievements of the community of staff, faculty and students who have made the Orangeville Campus the close-knit, supportive environment that it is. 

Beginning this month until May 2021, a series of reflection and celebration focusing on the students, graduates, staff, faculty and the Orangeville community will be featured in Communiqué.

For those who may not be familiar with the origins of the campus, it was the persistence of local resident, Wendy Morley, and former Mayor of the Town of Orangeville, Drew Brown (a Humber alumni) who were the driving forces behind the idea of an expansion into this community.

In 2004, both Ms. Morley and Mayor Brown approached Humber’s then President Dr. Robert Gordon with the idea of a Humber expansion into Orangeville. Many discussions and meetings took place with the eventual approval of such a commitment to Orangeville.

On October 11, 2005, the official announcement was made at an event that was attended by the Humber Executive team; Dufferin-Caledon MP David Tilson; Dufferin-Caledon MPP John Tory (now Toronto’s Mayor) and Drew Brown, along with numerous dignitaries and Humber staff and faculty.

I had the pleasure of being the emcee for the proceedings, which led to the various roles I would hold at the Orangeville Campus.

Following the announcement, Humber first opened a Community Relations and Academic Research office in the downtown core in January 2006, followed by establishing the Alder Recreation Complex as the academic delivery and programming space for the first cohort of students in Fall 2007. The Alder Complex would remain the home of the Orangeville Campus for more than 13 years. During this period, more than 2,000 students would enrol, 10 different full-time programs would be offered and hundreds of faculty would teach and inspire our students.

There is so much to share about this journey and that’s what our monthly reflections will highlight. We’ll be looking back at Humber’s presence in Orangeville, our incredible faculty and staff as well as our outstanding graduates who wear Humber’s badge proudly.

Joe Andrews
Principal, Orangeville Campus

Humber College is committed to fostering a respectful and inclusive culture in which all members of the College community study, work and live free from discrimination and harassment. To this end, it is imperative that we understand the definition of key equity terms that will enrich our capacity to prevent all forms of harassment and discrimination. The Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Diversity will be providing information on key terms and concepts pertinent to our work in building a more inclusive College.

Section 16 of the Canadian Human Rights Act and Section 14 of the Ontario Human Rights Code (Code) stipulates that it is not a discriminatory practice to collect information if it is intended to be used in adopting or carrying out a special program, plan or arrangement designed to eliminate discrimination of certain groups of individuals.

What are Special Programs in Hiring?

According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC):

Under the Code, all organizations are prohibited from treating people unfairly because of Code grounds, must remove barriers that cause discrimination, and must stop it when it occurs.

Organizations can also choose to develop “special programs” to help disadvantaged groups improve their situation. The Code and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Section 15(2)) both recognize the importance of addressing historical disadvantage by protecting special programs to help marginalized groups. The Supreme Court of Canada has also recognized the need to protect “programs” established by legislation that are designed to address the conditions of a disadvantaged group.

The Code allows for programs designed to help people who experience hardship, economic disadvantage, inequality or discrimination. The Code also protects these programs from attack by people who do not experience the same disadvantage. This guide describes the use of special programs, clarifies when they are allowed, and provides practical information on how they could be designed. The Ontario Human Rights Commission encourages the development and use of special programs as effective ways to achieve substantive equality by helping reduce discrimination, or addressing historical prejudice.

Organizations do not need permission from the OHRC to develop a special program. This means that special programs can be put in place without delay.

What the Code says:

Under Section 14 of the Code, it is not discrimination to put in place a program if it is designed to:

• Relieve hardship or economic disadvantage
• Help disadvantaged people or groups to achieve, or try to achieve, equal opportunity or
• Help eliminate discrimination

(Source: Ontario Human Rights Commission, Your guide to special programs and the Human Rights Code)

The Xerox Print Centres are dedicated to ensuring all Humber Faculty, Administrative Staff, Support Staff and all employees are supported during this time. If you have printing needs, we will continue to support you as we are fully open to serve you.

Please email your requirements or questions you may have to humncprint@xerox.com.