Fleming College

Peterborough, ON (December 12, 2024) – Fleming College has earned recognition as one of Canada’s leading research institutions, ranking #31 on Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges list for 2024. This recognition highlights Fleming’s standing among the 213 colleges across Canada, underscoring an ongoing commitment to applied, industry-driven research.

The annual list, published by Research Infosource Inc., highlights colleges that excel in research initiatives and make significant contributions to Canada’s knowledge economy. This year’s rankings reflect research income from the 2022-2023 fiscal year, including grants, contracts, and third-party contributions, reflecting the collaborative efforts that drive innovation and discovery. During this period, Fleming College researchers secured over $4.1 million in external research funding.

“At Fleming, our applied research matters,” said Fleming College President Maureen Adamson. “Funders, industry leaders, and innovative small businesses recognize the quality and impact of our work, which is why our research program is so successful. Their trust and investment reflect not only the strength of our expertise and commitment to delivering innovative, practical solutions but also the tangible benefits our research brings to our region and beyond.”

Fleming College is home to three specialized applied research centres, each with a distinct focus that addresses key priorities for Ontario: innovative water and wastewater technologies, AI and applied machine intelligence, and sustainable aquaculture. Through these centres, Fleming College fosters partnerships that advance groundbreaking research, equip businesses with the tools to remain competitive and contribute to sustainable economic development across Ontario.

Fleming’s success goes beyond the research centres, with faculty-led applied research projects spanning a range of impactful fields including policing, healthcare, environmental conservation and community and social services. Many of these initiatives also provide students with paid opportunities to develop industry-relevant skills and gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge research projects.

Fleming College continues to excel by forging partnerships with industry and community stakeholders to address pressing environmental, technological and economic challenges. Its success in securing substantial external funding, along with its collaborative and forward-thinking approach, solidifies Fleming’s position as a key contributor to applied research in Canada.

About Fleming College
Fleming College respectfully acknowledges that we are situated on Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg lands and territory. Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 6,800 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and 80,000 alumni.

Web: flemingcollege.ca
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Peterborough, ON (October 16, 2024) – The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev) is providing $4 million to support industry-led research and development projects related to advanced manufacturing and clean growth. The announcement was made today by Vance Badawey, MP for Niagara Centre, and Chris Bittle, MP for St. Catharines.

The funding was awarded to SONAMI – Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation. Fleming College, as a member of SONAMI, will receive a portion of the funding for projects in our Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies (CAWT) and/or Centre for Applied Machine Intelligence and Integration Technologies (CAMIIT). Both centres drive innovation in Ontario by fostering successful research partnerships with businesses, organizations, and entrepreneurs. Fleming’s collaboration with SONAMI will enable CAWT and CAMIIT to effectively assist local businesses in generating jobs, advancing commercialization, scaling operations and promoting innovative solutions.

Dr. Brett Goodwin, Executive Vice President, Applied Research and Innovation for Fleming College, visited Niagara College in Welland for the announcement. “This marks the third round of FedDev funding secured by SONAMI to be allocated among partner institutions. Through this collaboration, institutions are driving industry solutions and fostering innovation across southern Ontario,” says Goodwin. “With this support, Fleming College is empowered to help local businesses thrive through our high calibre research centres.”

Led by Niagara College, SONAMI is a network of post-secondary institutions who collaborate with industry partners to solve manufacturing-related challenges of small and medium-businesses through applied research. Other members of SONAMI include Centennial College, Conestoga College, Fanshawe College, George Brown College, Lambton College, McMaster University, Mohawk College, Niagara College, Queen’s University and Sheridan College.

Located at Fleming’s Sutherland Campus in Peterborough, CAMIIT is a leading-edge hub of applied research and technology development services for the private sector, government and non-governmental agencies and universities. CAMIIT’s areas of specialization and expertise include system design, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), edge computing, artificial intelligence and embedded systems.

The CAWT offers full support to wastewater technology companies from initial concept to successful completion. Based at Frost Campus in Lindsay, CAWT is a recognized Technology Access Centre (TAC), providing advanced equipment and a team of experts. A secondary, cutting-edge facility in Minden is designed to pilot up to six different wastewater technologies under cold-climate conditions.
Fleming College is appreciative of funding by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

For media enquiries, please contact:
Asher Lurie
Director, Communications
asher.lurie@flemingcollege.ca

About Fleming College
Fleming College respectfully acknowledges that we are situated on Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg lands and territory. Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 6,800 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and 80,000 alumni.

Web: flemingcollege.ca
Facebook: facebook.com/flemingcollege
Twitter: @FlemingCollege
Instagram: @flemingcollege
TikTok: @flemingcollege

Peterborough, ON (October 15, 2024) – Through new funding from the Ganawenim Meshkiki Initiative, Fleming is supporting the creation of new habitat for Kirtland’s Warblers (Setophaga kirtlandii), a small blue and yellow songbird. In Canada, the bird is endangered to the degree that current population estimates are unavailable.

To carry out this project, Fleming College is working with other members of The Ontario Kirtland’s Warbler Working Group. The group is a collaboration between non-profit, academic and private organizations including the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust, Fleming College, GEI Consultants, Birk’s Natural Heritage Consultants, Simcoe County, American Bird Conservancy and the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

For this project, the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust has acquired more than 120 hectares (300 acres) of land in Northumberland County. Led by Dr. Ben Walters, professor at Fleming College, Fleming’s Forestry students compiled habitat and soil information, and student researchers helped compile critical habitat data on the Warbler. Walters and the working group partners then developed plans and carried out work to establish an entire forest plant community on the sandy, former agricultural land.

Beginning last fall, about 10ha (25 acres) of the site was seeded for ground vegetation and more than 7,000 pine and oak trees were planted, some by Fleming Forestry students. The new funding received from the Ganawenim Meshkiki Initiative will support more seed collecting, seed cleaning and planting activities to increase the amount of future habitat on the site.

“This project has been a large undertaking and demonstrates the need for a collaborative approach,” explains Dr. Walters. “Without the knowledge, experience and expertise of all of our partners, there is no way that a whole ecosystem restoration project like this could come together.” Walters further explained that “Ontario is challenged by a lack of resources for this project like availability of large amounts and diverse species of non-tree seeds and long-term, stable funding sources. Nonetheless, this group has organized itself and worked together to acquire the land, collect and clean the seeds and start planting the land. We are very fortunate to be a part of it.”

Dr. Brett Goodwin, Fleming’s Executive Vice President of Applied Research, also added that “not only are we able to contribute to advancing knowledge about Kirtland’s Warbler habitat and forest ecosystem restoration approaches, our students are getting real-world experiences within living labs where their learning has the ability to have very meaningful benefits for Kirtland’s Warbler populations and many other species at risk that live alongside them. What better way to learn?”

The Ontario Kirtland’s Warbler Working Group’s goal is to expand Kirtland’s Warbler habitat across central Ontario, north of Lake Huron to the Ottawa Valley. If you are interested in supporting this initiative or have more than 20 hectares (50 acres) of land with sandy soils that you would possibly like to create Kirtland’s Warbler habitat on, contact Ben Walters at benjamin.walters@flemingcollege.ca. Read more about this project here.

The Ontario Kirtland’s Warbler Working Group recognizes the critical financial contributions of the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the MapleCross fund, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Forests Ontario, GEI Consultants, American Bird Conservancy and the Ganawenim Meshkiki Initiative (GMI), a Trustee of the Eastern Georgian Bay Initiative (EGBI).

For media enquiries, please contact:
Asher Lurie
Director, Communications
asher.lurie@flemingcollege.ca

About Fleming College
Fleming College respectfully acknowledges that we are situated on Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg lands and territory. Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 6,800 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and 80,000 alumni.

Web: flemingcollege.ca
Facebook: facebook.com/flemingcollege
Twitter: @FlemingCollege
Instagram: @flemingcollege
TikTok: @flemingcollege

Peterborough, ON (September 20, 2024) - Fleming College has been awarded $360,000 in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF).

With CCSIF funding, Fleming is partnering with Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Saiwa Inc. to innovate the fight against “Canada’s worst invasive plant,” a highly prevalent aggressive reed commonly known as invasive phragmites. The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National Revenue, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry made the announcement last week.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to help Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada with their important conservation work,” said Fleming College President Maureen Adamson. “Together, we will provide conservationists and resource managers with valuable tools to effectively combat the spread of invasive plants that threaten our native vegetation.”

Led by the researchers from Fleming College’s Centre for Applied Machine Intelligence and Integration Technologies (CAMIIT), as well as Fleming’s School of Environmental & Natural Resource Sciences (SENRS), the 3-year project aims to advance automation in the detection and surveillance of the invasive plant using machine vision algorithms, remote sensing data, and innovative drone technologies.

Dr. Fereydoon Diba from Fleming’s CAMIIT, in collaboration with Saiwa Inc., will develop a specialized drone with machine vision capability to recognize the invasive phragmites. Dr. Josh Feltham, Professor at SENRS, will work alongside Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada to collect drone surveillance data. Fleming students will assist with the project’s data collection and hardware development.

“This collaboration highlights the capabilities that technology and innovation can bring to natural resources, and the real-world problems that can be solved through applied research,” said President Adamson. “It’s promising to see CAMIIT and SENRS combining forces with such highly respected national conservation organizations.”

Phragmites forms dense patches and spreads voraciously, releasing toxins from its roots that impact habitat for fish, birds and other animals. Traditional detection methods are costly, involving physical assessment of sites to identify the correct species. There is a growing need for cost-effective tools to identify, map and monitor invasive plants, and organizations across Ontario and Canada will benefit from the development of a standardized method to facilitate a coordinated response.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Sarah Deeth
Communications Officer
sarah.deeth@flemingcollege.ca
705-749-5530 ext. 1161

About Fleming College
Fleming College respectfully acknowledges that we are situated on Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg lands and territory. Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 6,800 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and 80,000 alumni.

Web: flemingcollege.ca
Facebook: facebook.com/flemingcollege
Twitter: @FlemingCollege
Instagram: @flemingcollege
TikTok: @flemingcollege

Lindsay, ON (Aug. 7, 2024) - A team of Fleming College students and faculty has been recognized as Environmental Heroes for their efforts in transforming Fleming’s Frost Campus into a bird-friendly environment.

Members of the Fleming Bird Conservation Committee (FBCC) received the designation from the City of Kawartha Lakes during a ceremony June 25.

This team has worked diligently to create a safe haven for birds around the Frost Campus through a multi-year project. The FBCC aims to have the Frost Campus, and Fleming College, designated as Canada’s first bird-friendly college.

It is estimated that up to one billion birds die each year in North America due to window collisions. It is one of the leading causes behind declining bird populations around the world, and a focus of avian conservation.

Using window decals designed to deter collisions, student volunteers installed the decals throughout the campus and spent a total of 449 hours surveying windows for any sign of a bird collision. Through applied research and observation, students were able to confirm that none of the treated windows were involved in a bird collision; however, untreated windows continued to be involved in bird collisions, resulting in significant bird mortality. This student-driven research has helped prove the effectiveness of window decals in preventing bird collisions.

The Frost Campus became the first applied testing ground for this product. This was funded through Fleming’s Office of Applied Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

The City of Kawartha Lakes recognized the FBCC for taking a leading role in the community and making a positive impact in mitigating threats to birds.

Fleming College congratulates the FBCC for this recognition, and all the success our students and faculty have achieved.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Sarah Deeth
Communications Officer
sarah.deeth@flemingcollege.ca
705-749-5530 ext. 1161

About Fleming College
Fleming College respectfully acknowledges that we are situated on Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg lands and territory. Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 6,800 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and 80,000 alumni.

Web: flemingcollege.ca
Facebook: facebook.com/flemingcollege
Twitter: @FlemingCollege
Instagram: @flemingcollege
TikTok: @flemingcollege