CONII Annual Report 2012-13 - Ontario Centres of Excellence

CONTENTS 

CONII 

1 The CONII Story 

2 Message from the Chair 

3 Message from the Executive Director 

4 CONII by the Numbers 2012/13 

6 Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program 

8 Where Are They Now 

Industry-College Collaborations 

10 Algonquin College 

Collège Boréal 

Cambrian College 

11 Canadore College 

Centennial College 

Conestoga College 

12 Confederation College 

Durham College 

Fanshawe College 

13 Fleming College 

George Brown College 

Georgian College 

14 Humber College 

La Cité Collégiale 

Lambton College 

15 Loyalist College 

Mohawk College 

Niagara College 

16 Northern College 

Sault College 

Seneca College 

17 Sheridan College 

St. Clair College 

St. Lawrence College 

CONII Feature Projects 

18 Collège Boréal / Nexj Systems 

19 Durham College / Bykart Software 

20 George Brown College / SOS Customer Service 

21 Niagara College / Norgen Biotek 

CONII and Ontario Centres of Excellence 

22 Opening An Exciting New Chapter 

For CONII And Ontario Colleges 

Board Members 

24 Board Members 2012/13

The CONII Story 

Our History 

CONII began in 2006 as a consortium of ten colleges aimed at helping small and medium enterprises solve their technical 

problems, adapting new technologies for the marketplace, and developing new or improved products and processes. 

We have now grown to include all twenty-four colleges across Ontario and are truly a province-wide network. Dedicated 

to connecting Ontario businesses to the applied research and commercialization expertise of the Ontario college system, 

CONII is helping companies to innovate and to become increasingly competitive in the global environment. 

What Business Needs 

CONII member colleges are able to address many key challenges that businesses face when trying to innovate. They 

have access to the space and equipment that business often lacks. They can provide funding to support technical and 

commercialization activities. And their talented faculty and students provide the necessary creative thinking for the 

development of innovative products, processes and services. 

Enabling Next-Generation Innovators 

Working directly with businesses on their product and process development enables the development of the next 

generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. By collaborating with faculty and business leaders, students engaged 

in industry-led, applied research projects gain the innovation skills, both technical and people-centered, necessary 

to become strong contributors to Canada’s knowledge-based economy. 

An Integral Part Of The Innovation Ecosystem 

CONII and its member colleges are a critical component 

of the Ontario Network of Excellence (ONE). 

We work closely with Ontario’s Regional Innovation 

Centres, the Ontario Centres of Excellence, MaRS, 

federal and provincial funding agencies, and other 

stakeholders to help business accelerate their R&D 

process and move their products to market more 

quickly, enhancing the province’s competitiveness in 

the global marketplace. 

In February 2013, CONII commenced an integration 

into the Ontario Centres of Excellence, enabling 

colleges to better leverage the resources of OCE and 

contribute to the provincial innovation agenda, 

creating jobs, generating wealth and developing 

Ontario’s economy. 

CONII Annual Report 2012|2013 

1

Message from the Chair 

I am proud to present this 

year’s annual report for 

what has been an extremely 

productive year for the 

Colleges Ontario Network for 

Industry Innovation (CONII). 

We witnessed exciting and 

positive changes in the past 

year. CONII welcomed Loyalist 

College and Canadore College 

into our membership, resulting 

in CONII now representing all 

24 Ontario community colleges. All our members, rookies 

and veterans, strive to push and mentor each other for the 

benefit of our industrial partners, faculty and students. 

Another new important partnership for CONII is the one we 

developed with NRC-IRAP’s Digital Technology Adoption 

Program Pilot, or DTAPP. The program is designed for 

small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to increase their 

productivity and competitiveness through the deployment 

in their operations of digital technologies. Through a 

collaboration with NRC-IRAP’s DTAPP initiative, 15 Ontario 

colleges have received funding to work with regional SMEs 

to assess their digital technologies needs, devise a plan for 

their adoption and follow up on the implementation. In all, 

more than 60 companies were assisted through our DTAPP 

funding to support their growth and success. 

The final momentous event I would like to note is our 

further integration of the CONII program into the Ontario 

Centres of Excellence (OCE). In 2010-11, CONII funding 

started to flow from the Ontario government to CONII 

through OCE. On February 1st, 2103, we closed the loop 

by fully transferring all CONII activities directly into OCE’s 

operations. CONII’s Executive Director, Vanessa Williamson, 

and our Program Manager, Anna Schwarz, are now OCE 

employees and will continue to support the college network 

by running the CONII program, as well as support other 

OCE initiatives. This closer relationship with OCE will benefit 

the CONII members greatly, enabling colleges to better 

access and leverage the resources of the OCE Business 

Development team, and providing better networking with 

all of the Ontario Network of Excellence (ONE). Colleges will 

also gain an increased access to and awareness of existing 

and new OCE programs. Furthermore, as an internal member 

of OCE, CONII is in a better position to participate in the 

development of OCE programing in a manner that benefits 

colleges. It is a pleasure to have worked with our partners 

from MEDI, OCE, Colleges Ontario and our CONII members 

and staff to make this a smooth and efficient transition. 

I would like to thank the members of the CONII Board of 

Directors for their vision and commitment in making CONII 

what it has become. I also want to thank the industrial 

partners on CONII’s Project Advisory Committee for their 

meticulous and enlightened proposal reviews, which helped 

us fund the best of opportunities. Most of all, I would like to 

thank CONII’s staff, Vanessa Williamson and Anna Schwarz, 

for their tireless contribution to the network. Without them, 

CONII would not have reached the peaks it did this year. 

CONII has been an extraordinary success story, often cited by 

partners and provincial ministers as an example of power of 

the college system working to support SMEs through applied 

research. I am confident that working closely with OCE, we 

will enhance the contribution we are making to innovation 

in Ontario. It has been a pleasure for me to represent the 

Presidents of Ontario Colleges as Chair of CONII. 

I look forward to another exciting year! 

Dan Patterson 

President, Niagara College 

Chair, Colleges Ontario Network for Industry Innovation 

2 CONII Annual Report 2012|2013

Message from the Executive Director 

This year has proven both 

exciting and rewarding for 

CONII, its partners, its member 

colleges and its stakeholders. 

Not only have we evolved as 

a network, CONII has taken 

a significant step forward 

establishing itself as an 

integral component of the 

Ontario Network of Excellence 

and a true proponent of a 

knowledge-based economy. 

Over the past six years, CONII has operated independently 

and established itself as leading provider of innovation 

services to its community partners. Effective February 1st, 

2013, CONII commenced its integration into the Ontario 

Centres of Excellence. Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), 

with support from the provincial and federal governments, 

drives the development of Ontario’s economy by helping 

create new jobs, products, services, technologies and 

businesses. In partnership with industry and academia, OCE 

co-invests to commercialize innovation originating in the 

province’s colleges, universities and research hospitals. 

Our new alignment with OCE will enable colleges to have 

greater influence over the development of OCE programs, 

will allow greater leveraging of resources, and will ensure 

that colleges are best positioned to assist local industry 

partners and contribute in an even greater way to Ontario’s 

growth and prosperity. 

CONII also experienced expansion this year, welcoming 

two new college members, Loyalist College (Belleville) 

and Canadore College (North Bay). CONII is now a truly 

province-wide network, committed to providing small and 

medium sized businesses with the innovative thinking 

and other resources which they require to increase their 

competitiveness in the global environment. 

consumer need. This investment alone has leveraged more 

than $1.3M in project support. Each of these projects was 

vetted by CONII’s Project Allocation Committee, a team of 

volunteer advisors who help CONII make recommendations 

for investment based on the potential for products or 

prototypes resulting directly from projects to advance the 

government’s agenda of economic benefits to Ontario, which 

includes job creation and/or company growth. 

We also further developed our relationship with NRC-IRAP. 

Through a CONII-based DTAPP initiative, member colleges 

helped 66 SMEs by assessing their current business practices 

and determining how the implementation of digital 

technology could help their overall productivity. Many of 

the companies are now implementing the recommended 

strategies and we expect to see significant results from 

these engagements in the months to come. 

Realizing all of these accomplishments requires a great deal 

of support. Our Project Allocation Committee and Industry 

Selection Panel, both comprised of external volunteers, have 

provided considerable insight and guidance, and each has 

contributed to CONII being where it is today. I must also 

acknowledge the tremendous guidance I receive from our 

Board of Directors and Executive Committee, especially my 

Chair, Dan Patterson, as well as the ongoing efforts of Anna 

Schwarz to supporting CONII operations. 

Developing this report has allowed me to reflect on all 

that has been accomplished and I must say, I’m impressed. 

I encourage you to read on and see how CONII and its 

member colleges have provided significant benefits to their 

students, their industry partners and to advancing Ontario’s 

innovation economy. 

Vanessa Williamson 

Executive Director 

Colleges Ontario Network for Industry Innovation 

In 2012/13, through support provided by Ontario’s Ministry 

of Economic Development and Innovation, CONII has coinvested 

$826,464 to support 43 industry-initiated applied 

research projects, each addressing an identified business or 


3

CONII by the Numbers 2012/13 

CONII co-invests in applied research projects which develop products, processes and services that 

are needed in the marketplace and that will help drive Ontario’s economic prosperity and increase 

the global competiveness of our industry partners. At the same time, CONII helps develop the next 

generation of entrepreneurs and innovators. By working closely with faculty and business leaders, 

students engaged in industry-led, applied research projects gain the innovation skills, both technical 

and people-centered, necessary to become strong contributors to Canada’s knowledge-based economy. 

number of NEW 

projects funded 

NEW partners 


REPEAT partners 


$ 

826,000 

CONII invested in 43 industry-led applied research projects 

31 

12 

92 

170 

1530 

Number of college 

researchers and 

technicians engaged 

Number of students 

students engaged 

Number of 

introductions between 

academia and industry 

Each CONII-member college has an Industry Innovation Centre (IIC) on their campus to provide the 

interface between the local business community and the internal academic environment. College IIC 

staff understand their own college resources, connect these to business opportunities, and effectively 

manage the relationships which are necessary to ensure successful partnerships. The IIC is the first 

point of contact when business wants to work with the college. 

Sources of Financial Support for College IICs 

CONII $1,954,999 

Colleges 2,947,901 

Federal Sources 784,572 

Industry Partners 14,994 

Other Sources 67,388 


$ 

826,000 

Invested by CONII into industry-led 

applied research projects 

Leveraged 

an Additional 

$ 

1,336,678 

In Cash and In-Kind Investment 

CONII Investment $ 826,464 

Company Investment* $ 1,077,122 

Colleges Investment* $ 259,556 

* denotes cash and in-kind investment 

CONII co-invested in projects 

in a variety of industry sectors 

Number of industry partners engaged 

in CONII-funded projects in 2012/13 

4 Energy and Environment 

16 ICT and Digital Media 

Repeat Customers 

10 Materials and Manufacturing 

8 Advanced Health Technologies 

43 12 New Industry Partners 

5 Other 

31 

Highly Qualified and Skilled Personnel (HQSP) 

engaged in CONII-funded applied research projects 

74 College Faculty 

170 College Students 

101 Private Sectore Employees 

18 College Technical Staff 


5

Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program 

Boosting Productivity Through Technology Adoption 

The Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program (DTAPP) is a component of the Government of Canada’s overall strategy to 

boost the productivity of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and improve Canada’s digital economy. Delivered by 

the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP), DTAPP is designed to speed 

up the rate at which SMEs in Canada improve their productivity by adopting digital technology and build new skills around 

the use of new technologies. 

In 2012/13, CONII-member colleges, through an agreement with NRC-IRAP, assisted 66 SMEs through the DTAPP program. 

College faculty and technical staff provided advisory services to the SMEs whereby they assessed current business and 

technical practices, and recommend and developed solutions that involve the implementation of digital technology to 

improve productivity. 

66 

43 

Digital Technology 

Implementation 

Plans Developed 

ICT and Digital Media - 24 

Advanced Health Technologies - 9 

Other - 2 

Advanced Manufacturing - 19 

Companies Served 

Energy and Environment - 12 

DTAPP CASE STUDY 

Tisdale Plumbing and Heating | Northern College 

HVAC contractor warmly embraces digital technology 

Tisdale Plumbing and Heating recognized that modernizing 

business processes and methods would be necessary to 

expand their business in North-Eastern Ontario. 

Northern College analyzed the business practices of this 

provider of residential and industrial HVAC services to the 

Timmins region. The college identified that productivity was 

being lost as technicians, dispatched to the field, waited to 

call the central office to communicate task status, material 

needs, billing details and to receive their next work order, 

using simple cell phones and Excel spreadsheet accounting. 

To address this challenge, Northern researchers are 

developing a strategy to address this lost productivity, 

through the use of a coordinated software environment, 

optimized for smartphone data transfer, scheduling and 

status updates. 

This includes the use of cloud data-storage, smartphones, 

WiFi tablets and integrated accounting systems. Once 

finalized, implementation of this new hardware and software 

system will enable Tisdale to integrate and grow a sustainable 

service business in 2013. Such productivity improvements 

will enable Tisdale to grow their business while maintaining 

their single, centralized administration facility. 



EllisDon | George Brown College 

Mobile app builds construction company’s remote access 

EllisDon is among Canada’s most successful construction 

services companies, viewed as a leader and pioneer in 

the design, construction and operation of residential and 

commercial buildings with fully integrated information and 

communications technology (ICT) systems. 

Central to the success of EllisDon’s business is their 

in-house project management system called “Gate Three,” 

the backbone that manages all project-specific details and 

documents. EllisDon partnered with George Brown College 

to commercialize Gate Three for large, mid-sized, and small 

companies. 

As strong as the system was, accessing Gate Three information 

remotely was a challenge. Key project information 

is stored in an online directory, but employees and 

stakeholders on-site or in-transit often have no reliable 

access. EllisDon aims to enhance communication, 

streamline data access and optimize the logistics of project 

management by leveraging mobile technology. 

Developing a mobile application to support this goal, GBC 

computer programming students worked directly with 

industry supporter Konrad Group to define the business 

objective, analyze EllisDon’s existing IT infrastructure, and 

create supporting system documentation, wireframes and 

design. 

Upon completion of implementation and quality assurance 

testing, employees and contractors working on-site or in 

transit can use the mobile application to remotely access 

both individual and corporate contact information in a 

centralized GPS-enabled corporate directory. 


LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services | Sault College 

Improved efficiency infectious for lab company 

LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services provides a full range 

of diagnostic testing services to help healthcare providers 

diagnose, treat, monitor and prevent disease in patients. With 

several Specimen Collection Centres in Sault Ste. Marie and 

Sudbury, LifeLabs wanted to explore how available digital 

technology could improve local and territorial efficiencies. 

Analysis of LifeLabs current business processes completed at 

Sault College highlighted several opportunities to enhance 

the tools and skill set of its employees relating to file sharing 

and management, reporting functions and communication, 

all with an aim to eliminate distance barriers between local 

and Sudbury Collection Centres. 

Sault College recommended LifeLabs implement a customtailored, 

integrated reporting, scheduling and file sharing 

and management process. Sault faculty developed a system 

for LifeLabs using multiple software platforms relating to 

reporting, video conferencing and network file sharing. 

Adopting this technology will greatly improve LifeLabs’ 

operational efficiencies and overall productivity. 


7

Where Are They Now 

Last year’s report featured several narratives of 

applied research projects that CONII-member 

colleges initiated with their SME partners. Each 

of these projects had the goal of assisting the 

business in becoming more competitive in the global 

environment, and demonstrated potential to generate 

economic benefit to Ontario, including job creation 

and increased company revenues. 

One year has passed and it is interesting to revisit 

these stories to take stock of the impact of the collegeindustry 

collaboration on these companies. Below you 

will see where some of these companies are now, a 

year later. 

The Bauhub | Algonquin College 

Building on work accomplished through the partnership it developed with Algonquin, Seneca and Mohawk 

Colleges, The Bauhub has now grown to over 240 members working in North America and around the World. 

“With over 4200 years of collective experience, we are helping brands of all shapes and sizes accomplish their 

marketing communications goals more effectively than ever before. The right team with the right experience to 

get the work done. Our members have been actively engaging in events and working together to define what 

collective working is all about. Our Collective Connective event in November 2012 brought together over 160 people 

to share and learn about the future of work. In Q1 of 2013 we have already generated 50% of the revenue that was 

generated all of 2012. Looking forward to rapid growth and expansion in 2013 for collective working!” 

Scott Morrison, The Bauhub. 

Precision Door Industries | Cambrian College 

We have already submitted a project to continue the research and move to the next stage of development.” 

Ray Carr, Engineering Manager, Precision Door Industries 

Last year, Cambrian College partnered with Precision Door Industries to develop an advanced mine door 

prototype that features automated air control, addressing a significant challenge in the mining industry. 

This concept will provide the basis for mines to better manage energy use and provide a safer work 

environment for miners not only in Sudbury but potentially across the global mining industry. Since a 

commercial launch in early 2012, PDI has created four jobs as a result of this collaboration. They have also 

increased their corporate revenues by 10% due to a new product offering. 

Clear Blue Technologies | George Brown College 

“We benefited from education programs specific to our industry, worked with great faculty, and 

had a strong and talented pool to draw from, leading to one of our first employees.” 

John Tuerk, Co-founder and President, Clear Blue Technologies Inc. 

Clear Blue Technologies designs on-grid and off-grid devices allowing OEMs to deliver new 

products. The company now has six employees building, selling and marketing solar and 

wind powered solutions, and it anticipates increasing its workforce to 15 - 25 people over 

the next 18 months. Supporting this promising early stage start-up, George Brown College 

helped Clear Blue build and test its initial products, enabled them to get their first product 

into the market and generate their first revenue. 


Spincore | Georgian College 

Since last year, Spincore has significantly advanced its upper body exercise baton designed to enhance 

upper body rehabilitation and conditioning. Component tooling has been manufactured by a local supplier 

and the aluminum handles manufactured and supplied by a company in Quebec. The units are being 

assembled in Barrie, Ontario. “This is a truly a Canadian-made product.” 

Spincorefitness.com provides testimonials by prominent Canadian athletes and healthcare providers 

including: Barrie Shepley, Hall of Fame Triathlon coach, and Claudia Johnston, 2010 Hawaii Ironman Bronze 

Medal winner; additional testimonial videos can be found on YouTube. The Spincore product is currently 

listed in Ortho Canada’s catalogue, which is a distributor of therapeutic devices. Spincore is also being 

promoted within the fitness market. The Hamilton YMCA is doing a trial on uses in fitness classes and is working with the local hospital to 

evaluate its effectiveness for use with Breast Cancer recovery patients. 

“Georgian College has been instrumental in providing technical expertise with design, drawings and models used to get the Spincore unit to 

market. The student skill used to produce the solid model drawings and the help provided by faculty with industry contacts for final mold design 

and production was critical for reaching the stage we are at now.” 

Garde Manger | Niagara College 

Garde Manger is a digital refrigeration monitoring system that tracks refrigeration temperatures from 

individual temperature sensors which was developed by a cross-disciplinary team of faculty and students 

in Niagara College’s culinary and computer programming programs. The system is easy-to-use and costeffective, 

with the temperature sensors relaying the information to the restaurant manager’s computer or 

mobile device and addresses food safety health regulations to avoid the possibility of food-borne illness. 

Since the project was initiated, Garde Manger has ben licensed to Quick Service Software (QSS), a Niagarabased 

company offering technologically savvy products and services to the food industry. 

QSS has now started to build its base of clients, and expects to increase sales in the near future. 

“We are excited by the potential that the Garde Manger project provides,” notes David Jones, QSS owner. “While we believe strongly that food 

safety is vital, it will be our goal to convince large corporations of this value of having a commitment to their customers on food safety. Garde 

Manger is a big part of that.” 

Rowswell and Moss | Sault College 

Future looks bright for Ontario solar farms – solar array built and online 

During the fall of 2012, Rowswell & Moss Inc. (RMI) began construction of their prototype solar array tracking 

system at the Sault College airport site. The system was the vision of the late John Rowswell and was 

developed by Rowswell & Associates Engineers Inc. in collaboration with Sault College researchers and N-Sci 

Technologies Inc. 

In addition to the estimated 30% gain over fixed arrays, the geometry of these ISAT arrays allows them to be 

closer together than traditional ISAT systems, yielding up to 30% more energy per land area. The prototype 

system went online in Dec. 2012 and, after a winter of heavy snowfall in the region, the geometry of this system has shown advantages 

over others when it comes to shedding the snow efficiently and keeping the resulting snow piles from blocking the sunlight. After a 

successful demonstration, RMI plans to manufacture the patent pending, made in- Ontario frames and tracking systems locally, creating 

jobs and economic benefits for the local community. 

“The next steps for commercialization of this technology are the most critical and involve proving the performance of the pilot scale installation 

and Sault College will play an integral part in this process…” Joel Rowswell, President, RMI 


9

ALGONQUIN 

COLLEGE 

Measuring minds 

Qualitative research seeks to unravel 

the mysteries of human behavior and 

the reasoning behind that behaviour. 

Through its “Recollective” software, 

Ramius Corporation has developed a 

qualitative research platform that provides 

a suite of tools for gathering insights from 

discussion forums, private messaging and 

other online activities that enhances the 

study of human behaviour. 

Ramius approached Algonquin College’s 

School of Business to improve upon the 

platform’s usability, with a lens focused 

on identifying the strengths and the 

shortcomings of its “Recollective” suite. 

The project studied a number of the 

School of Business’ Graduate Certificate 

programs in an attempt to clarify the 

opportunities and the challenges the 

delivery of the programs have for the 

school and its students. 

Students from Algonquin College’s 

Marketing and Business Intelligence 

Research (MBIR) program developed and 

implemented test cases that enabled the 

Recollective software to demonstrate its 

efficiencies while also identifying areas for 

improvement. 

Through this collaboration, Ramius 

received valuable feedback that enabled 

it to increase the efficiency of its products 

and services and improve its customer 

service capabilities. It also enabled Ramius 

to give back to the educational community 

by enhancing the skill sets of the project 

students and faculty. 

COLLÈGE 

BORÉAL 

Dose of reality for young 

healthcare workers 

The Consortium du Formation en Santé 

au Canada (CNFS) and Collège Boréal have 

given budding health care professionals a 

dose of what careers lay ahead. 

Together, they struck a partnership 

designed to strengthen both the technical 

and professional skills of student health 

care professionals from Collège Boréal and 

the Northern Ontario Medical School. 

Medical doctorate, nursing, and radiation 

students participated in a one-day 

simulation workshop where they 

experienced the inter-professional reality 

of healthcare. They were also given the 

opportunity to see and work with state-ofthe-art 

medical equipment such as X-ray 

and ultrasound machines. 

At the end of the workshop, Collège Boréal 

researchers collected questionnaires 

assessing the students’ experience in 

working alongside healthcare professionals 

as well as their experiences in using the 

latest in medical technology. 

The findings highlighted the importance 

of not only training with current medical 

equipment, but the need to train with such 

technology in a real medical setting. The 

simulation also emphasized the challenges 

and pressures health care professionals 

regularly contend with as they interact 

with patients and colleagues. 

Ultimately, it was unanimous that the 

young health care providers will be 

better equipped to handle professional 

interactions and innovative technologies, 

which will then translate into higher quality 

healthcare for patients. 

CAMBRIAN 

COLLEGE 

Home-based senior care 

eases burden 

In Ontario, there are currently more 

than 620 long-term care homes 

totalling more than 76,400 beds. While 

this sounds impressive, there are more 

than 25,680 patients waiting for access to 

long-term care beds. 

With so many seniors remaining in their 

homes, CareLink Advantage partnered 

with Cambrian College to study the 

Sudbury-based company’s home care 

solution that is designed to improve 

Ontario seniors’ lives and those of their 

caregivers. 

The analysis provided new possible 

strategies for the CareLink Advantage 

system. Using technologies that include 

door contacts, motion sensors, bed 

sensors, medication monitors, remotecontrolled 

video cameras, and online 

monitoring, this system helps seniors live 

safely at home longer. 

The study focused on 20 seniors with and 

without the CareLink Advantage solution 

through a process of interviews and 

external health care supports. 

The results suggested that the CareLink 

Advantage system has multiple benefits – 

from significantly easing the burden of the 

family caregiver, to reducing the demand 

for assisted living services and for longterm 

care beds, to reducing government 

healthcare costs. 

Final results will be shared with community 

partners like Community Care Access 

Centre, the Regional Hospital, Local Health 

Integration Network, and local acute long 

term care providers. 

...the mysteries of human behavior and the 

reasoning behind that behaviour. 

The simulation also emphasized the challenges 

and pressures that health care professionals 

regularly contend with... 

The analysis provided new possible strategies 

for the CareLink Advantage system. 


CANADORE 

COLLEGE 

Canadore is R&D ready 

The high cost of acquiring advanced 

manufacturing and production facilities 

is holding back SMEs from exploring the 

R&D needed for the commercialization 

of innovative products and processes. 

That’s where Canadore College’s 

Innovation Centre for Advanced 

Manufacturing and Production (ICAMP) 

comes in. The Centre will support 

development of new products, product 

and materials testing, development 

and commercialization of prototypes, 

refinement of existing processes, the 

development of new businesses or 

processes, and applied research related to 

these areas. 

SMEs drive job creation in Canada and 

ICAMP will help Northern Ontario’s 

manufacturing industry compete globally. 

ICAMP will assist SMEs to enhance their 

competitive position by facilitating direct 

access to leading technologies and the 

associated skills training required for the 

labour force. 

Through ICAMP, Canadore College will 

engage industry partners to conduct 

applied research that supports industry 

objectives. Companies are already 

contacting ICAMP in anticipation of these 

opportunities. 

In addition to ICAMP’s launch, Canadore 

College has hired an Academic Director 

for applied research and appointed a 

Director of Corporate Relations. They 

will work together with industry and 

academic instructors to promote research 

that benefits students while focusing on 

generating a strong economic impact. 

CENTENNIAL 

COLLEGE 

From data to decisions 

Leading organizations are increasingly 

using analytics to gain an advantage 

over competitors, driving the need for 

new mapping technology and data 

visualization tools. 

Addressing that need, DataAppeal 

provides a user-friendly, web-based 

visualization application that offers 

research-based, visually appealing, three 

dimensional animated maps and graphics 

that transform data into business insight. 

It provides clients with striking visual 

interpretations of their data to make 

business decisions faster. 

But initially, the DataAppeal platform was 

lacking in performance, which led to the 

company working with Centennial College 

to boost the program’s analytic capabilities 

while keeping it simple for the end user. 

Together, the college and company 

developed a revamped product that 

allows the company to pursue new clients, 

partnerships and distribution channels. 

With a market base of almost 2,000 users 

and growing, the company has also been 

busy promoting these new and improved 

features in popular technology blogs to 

attract more users and potential clients. 

DataAppeal is also preparing to double 

its workforce over the next year and is 

planning to hire the Centennial College 

students who worked on this project. 

CONESTOGA 

COLLEGE 

Unearthing new mining 

technology 

Think of it as CSI for the mining 

industry. Conestoga has helped Kendall 

Technology Inc. develop a portable 

geological sensor that will be used by 

the mining and mineral exploration 

industry to detect low concentrations of 

certain minerals. 

Portable detection is extremely beneficial 

for mining and mineral exploration 

as it leads to a more efficient process. 

Kendall Technology had a vision that was 

enhanced by Conestoga’s Integrated 

Telecommunication and Computer 

Technologies (ITCT) degree program by 

helping transform their idea into a marketworth 

product. 

Throughout Phase 1 and 2, the ITCT 

program students have led the project 

by developing concepts, writing 

specifications, providing system design, 

designing hardware and software, and 

building and testing hardware, software 

and mechanical components. 

Commencing in spring 2013, Phase 3 of 

the project will focus on the assembly 

of prototype units for field testing to 

determine the technology’s abilities. 

This revolutionary device is poised to 

provide a disruptive technology to the 

mining industry that could greatly improve 

the way mining and mineral exploration is 

conducted in the future. 

...ICAMP will help Northern Ontario’s 

manufacturing industry compete globally. 

...visually appealing, three dimensional 

animated maps and graphics that 

transform data into business insight. 

...a portable geological sensor that will be 

used by the mining and mineral exploration 

industry... 

CONII Annual Report 2012|2013 11

CONFEDERATION 

COLLEGE 

Bringing biomass to the 

masses 

Promoting environmental 

sustainability, Confederation College 

is moving forward with the installation 

of a state-of-the-art biomass energy 

facility, which will provide primary 

heating for the main 40,000 m 2 building 

on the college’s Thunder Bay campus 

with two new 500 KW wood chip fired 

boilers. 

To showcase the technologies used in this 

facility, Confederation College will open 

the Bio-Energy Learning and Research 

Centre (BLRC), which will include a studentcentered 

lab located within the campus’ 

main boiler house. 

The BLRC will also feature a 150 KW 

demonstration and research boiler − 

accessible to faculty, students and industry 

partners for demonstration, training, and 

applied research opportunities that relate 

to biomass fuels and heating systems, 

controls and technologies and related 

fuel handling and emissions monitoring 

systems. 

Operated in partnership with Honeywell, 

Evergreen BioHeat, Froling, and OPG, 

the BLRC will be a showcase for small-tomedium 

sized biomass powered greenenergy 

systems/installations in northern 

Ontario. Confederation College anticipates 

commissioning of all boilers in the fall of 

2013, with an official opening of the BLRC 

to follow in 2014. 

DURHAM 

COLLEGE 

Gripping new medical 

device handles 

For medical devices used in surgery, 

the handle is as important as the 

blade. Handles currently used in the 

medical industry are prone to damage and 

discolouration when exposed to heat and 

UV rays, as well as damaging effects from 

the sterilization process. 

Durham College and OASYS Healthcare 

collaborated to enable the company to 

generate the successful prototype of a 

medical device handle that can withstand 

stresses of the autoclaving process. 

Durham College’s expertise in injection 

molding and material selection and 

analysis helped OASYS designers 

create a new and cost-effective handle 

product. The college also provided rapid 

prototyping equipment and computer 

numerical control machines for the 

production of multiple prototypes of the 

new handle in different shapes and sizes. 

After post-processing at OASYS, these 

prototypes allowed the designers to assess 

the design’s fit, form and function. 

The product is currently in the testing 

stage with the prototype being exposed to 

sterilization by autoclaving to validate the 

material selection. The design itself will be 

displayed at future international medical 

shows. OASYS expects to bring the product 

to market in the next 12 to 18 months with 

Durham College assisting with tooling 

development and material testing. 

FANSHAWE 

COLLEGE 

Rural youth dig digital media 

Youth unemployment and retention are 

big issues in rural Southwestern Ontario. 

To address this challenge, the Fusion 

Youth Activity and Technology Centre 

and Fanshawe College are using digital 

media to keep youth engaged and 

connected to their community. 

Fusion, in the town of Ingersoll, is a 

business incubator/non-profit organization 

established by the town. It supports 

youth entrepreneurship and provides 

employment experiences and skills training 

for local youth aged 12-19. Operating several 

social enterprises, Fusion’s multimedia 

production unit is quickly becoming 

popular. 

Fusion officials worked with Fanshawe’s 

School of Contemporary Media to help 

a group of clients develop a 3D gaming 

application. The Interactive Digital Media 

team mentored the youth and helped 

research, design and begin a game. 

The project enabled Fusion to increase 

participation in its programs, reach out 

to youth typically not engaged in the 

centre, build capacity for its multimedia 

enterprise and expose rural young people 

to new technologies and potential career 

opportunities. 

The budding game designers have finished 

about 60% of the game application so far. 

When it is done, their intention is to market 

it through the Apple and Android stores, 

with proceeds used to support educational 

bursaries and entrepreneurial activities at 

Fusion. 

...a showcase for small-to-medium sized 

biomass powered green-energy systems/ 

installations in northern Ontario. 

Durham College’s expertise in injection 

molding and material selection and 

analysis helped OASYS designers... 

Fusion Youth Activity and Technology Centre 

and Fanshawe College are using digital media 

to keep youth engaged. 


FLEMING 

COLLEGE 

Tapping into better water 

filters 

Measuremax Inc. in collaboration with 

Aclarus Water Systems is developing 

a drinking water treatment system 

that can provide on-site treatment 

of drinking water where municipally 

treated drinking water supplies are not 

available. 

Measuremax worked with the Centre for 

Alternative Wastewater Treatment (CAWT) 

at Fleming College to carry out comparison 

tests on two filter membranes – the 

backbone of this water treatment system. 

One was developed by a North American 

manufacturer, the other by a Chinese 

company. 

Fleming provided Measuremax with key 

third-party performance testing to see just 

how well both filters protect human health. 

College staff and students offered valuable 

insight during the project and offered 

strategic assessments, critical analysis, and 

constructive insights regarding testing and 

product development. 

Both membranes were assessed for their 

ability to remove bacterial pathogens, rate 

of filtration and ease of cleaning. It was 

determined the Chinese filter performed as 

well as the North American filter in both its 

ability to remove pathogens and in the rate 

of filtration. 

Incorporating the more cost effective 

Chinese filtration membrane into the water 

treatment system will benefit consumers 

by reducing production costs and help 

Measuremax make important marketbased 

decisions about the commercial 

potential of this technology. 

GEORGE BROWN 

COLLEGE 

Accelerating trucking safety 

Roughly four million heavy commercial 

trucks currently operate in North 

America. That’s big business, but with 

it comes a big need for safety. Trucking 

companies must follow strict safety 

regulations recently adopted in the United 

States, which affect Canadian carriers that 

haul into the US. 

To help trucking companies comply and 

compete, Fleetmetrica Inc. approached 

George Brown College to develop a beta 

version of their SafetyMonitor product. 

SafetyMonitor helps truck fleets improve 

overall road safety. This product simplifies 

fleet safety monitoring by organizing data 

collected from onboard ‘black boxes’, 

reducing the need for additional staff and 

resources. SafetyMonitor allows carriers 

to be proactive in improving operations by 

honing in on problems such as individual 

driver habits or mechanical issues with 

specific trucks. 

Working with George Brown’s School 

of Computer Technology, Fleetmetrica 

rolled out a first version to pilot carriers 

in 2012. Early users reported a reduction 

in accidents and a significant drop in fuel 

consumption. 

Based on initial feedback, SafetyMonitor 

is currently undergoing upgrades. 

Fleetmetrica is also conducting efficacy 

testing of SafetyMonitor in an expanded 

pilot involving carriers across Canada with 

Natural Resources Canada’s participation. 

The NRC pilot will provide valuable client 

feedback that will drive development of 

future improvements in collaboration with 

George Brown College. 

GEORGIAN 

COLLEGE 

Plastic makes perfect 

EZ Hanging Color Rack Inc. were racking 

their brains with a manufacturing 

problem. The company had developed 

a small metal-wire mesh shelving rack 

that stores products about the size of 

toothpaste boxes. In the last two years, 

sales were strong, exceeding 14,000 units. 

Initially, EZ Hanging Color Rack Inc. (EZ) 

searched for a domestic supplier without 

success and resorted to contracting an 

offshore supplier. Though large-order 

quantities were purchased, EZ noticed 

product quality was dropping while 

packing irregularities were on the rise. The 

company needed to resolve this. 

Working with Georgian College’s Centre for 

Applied Research and Innovation (CARI), 

EZ set out to redesign the rack, using cost 

effective materials and a manufacturing 

process that could be done locally. 

Returning to the drawing board, it was 

determined plastic could be used instead 

of metal. Georgian researchers then 

worked with EZ to redesign the product 

and conduct a series of tests to ensure 

it met all of the product’s physical and 

mechanical requirements. 

Since the project’s completion, prototypes 

have been produced and tested, tooling is 

being completed by a local manufacturer 

and tenders for local production are being 

reviewed. This product will not sit on the 

shelf, as it’s expected this new product will 

hit the market in the summer of 2013. 

...key third-party performance testing 

to see just how well both filters protect 

human health. 

Early users reported a reduction in 

accidents and a significant drop in 

fuel consumption. 

EZ Hanging Color Rack Inc. were racking 

their brains with a manufacturing 

problem. 

CONII Annual Report 2012|2013 13

HUMBER 

COLLEGE 

Honing in on home energy 

As sustainable living awareness 

increases, so does the demand for 

sustainable design. 

Responding to this need, Dynacurrent and 

the students and faculty of the Sustainable 

Building and Energy Technology at 

Humber College collaborated to initiate 

NetZero Home 2012 – a project to design, 

test, and provide energy savings for 

sustainable home prototypes. 

Dynacurrent, an energy efficient heating 

systems manufacturer, approached 

Humber to collect energy (cost) savings 

data of their innovative heating technology 

in 10 prototypes designed by Humber 

interior design students. 

Using computer programs for architectural 

design and energy modeling, this project 

provided students, faculty and industry 

partners the opportunity to study the 

connection between building design, 

indoor thermal comfort and air quality 

systems and the potential of building netzero 

regenerative homes. 

As one student said, “We’re working 

with actual designers, architects and 

contractors. We’re learning the way it 

actually should be in the industry.” 

Dynacurrent now has the data necessary 

to advertise how higher up-front costs 

translate into greater long term energy 

savings, while Humber’s students have 

gained valuable industry exposure and 

enhanced their skills for their future careers 

in design. 

LA CITÉ 

COLLÉGIALE 

Recycled materials are 

homeward bound 

How can you build homes that are both 

eco-friendly and affordable “Green” 

homes are popular in theory, and most 

consumers want to purchase homes 

that protect the environment, but these 

homes are often costly. 

La Cité collégiale, working with Minto 

Communities Inc. will address the 

challenge by demonstrating an innovative 

approach to designing and building green 

homes that will be built using recycled 

building materials normally thrown away. 

The goal is to transform used maritime 

shipping containers and building materials 

into homes that can be used for different 

purposes. They are designed to be energy 

efficient and flexible enough to address 

a wide range of building needs such as 

disaster relief, emergency housing, and 

temporary structures such as a sales office 

or an on-site research facility. 

Involved in both the design and building 

a first prototype, the college has helped 

finalize a design and work in modifying the 

container has begun in collaboration with 

Minto Communities. 

Aligning with La Cité collégiale’s 

construction program, the collaboration 

will serve as a training platform for the 

students, providing them with skills and 

techniques that are transferable to other 

academic areas. As well, the company is 

also considering commercializing various 

aspects of the construction process in 

addition to the completed product. 

LAMBTON 

COLLEGE 

Green light for flexible traffic 

signs 

Lambton College and Safely at Work 

are developing a flexible alternative 

to Ontario’s existing traffic signs. 

Studies show that 5% of traffic signs 

must be replaced each year because of 

wind damage, vandalism or impact. If 

the replacement rate could be cut in half, 

Ontario could save $12 million annually. 

Most traffic signs in Canada are made 

of aluminum or wood which fracture 

when hit by vehicles or debris. Plastic, 

however, can bend on impact and recover. 

The Ontario government encourages 

alternative sign systems but lists poor 

strength, low temperature fracture and 

message layer adhesion as typical barriers 

that hold back their usage. 

Lambton and Safely at Work are creating 

modified plastic lumber as a solution. 

Formulating a new material using recycled 

high-density polyethylene or HDPE, 

Lambton College and Safely at Work 

have developed a sign prototype that is 

stronger than wood, flexes enough to 

survive impact and retains that flexibility in 

freezing temperatures. 

Plastic lumber is a well-developed industry 

that forecasts US sales of $2.8 billion in 

2015. Half of these products will use all or 

some recycled plastic, primarily HDPE. 

The next phase of development of this 

sign material will include weather and UV 

testing for outdoor longevity as well as 

improved message layer adhesion. 

...a project to design, test and provide 

energy savings for 10 sustainable home 

prototypes. 

...transform used maritime shipping 

containers and building materials into 

homes... 

Smart Biologicals Inc., in collaboration with 

Lambton College, have developed an odourless 

indoor household composter... 


LOYALIST 

COLLEGE 

Potential leaders in ATV trailers 

Edgar Enterprises Multi-Use Trailer 

System (MUTS) approached Loyalist 

College to help become a leader in ATV 

trailers. 

With a growing customer base that 

use MUTS trailers on their ATVs in small 

woodlot management operations, 

the company realized that developing 

accessories for their trailers for use in farm 

and small-scale landscape applications 

would expand their market potential. 

MUTS is described as the “Swiss army 

knife” of ATV utility trailers and reflects the 

company’s goal of developing the most 

versatile and useful off-road ATV utility 

trailer on the market. So to make their 

trailers even better, they are working with 

Loyalist College to expand their product 

line by building prototype accessories for 

farm and landscape use. 

Through this project, Loyalist students 

are sharpening their skills with auto cad 

computer programming, design concepts, 

fabrication skills, plasma cutting, and 

welding techniques. That’s in addition to 

the insight they are gaining in business 

entrepreneurship, product design and 

prototype manufacturing, not to mention 

the unique opportunity to experience 

R&D activities for the purposes of 

commercialization. 

A select few students will have the 

additional opportunity to be involved in 

the field testing and refinement phase of 

the project. 

MOHAWK 

COLLEGE 

Paging simpler patient data... 

In most hospitals, patient data is divided 

among multiple clinical information 

systems that have to be accessed 

independently. Having physicians sort 

through several different records is frustrating, 

time consuming and can lead to errors in 

treatment. 

VitalHub Chart was designed to simply this 

pile of patient records. It collects data from 

multiple clinical information systems and 

presents it in a single, integrated view of the 

patient’s record. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists 

and other healthcare professionals can access 

and share information quickly and securely on 

an iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch or web browser. 

VitalHub collaborated with Mohawk College’s 

iDeaWORKS to transfer the VitalHub Chart 

application to the latest version of the Android 

platform. Together, the team successfully 

developed an Android version of VitalHub 

app that maintained the same functionality 

and a similar look and feel, while providing the 

native Android experience. 

Through this project, students gained 

valuable Android development experience, 

and VitalHub was able to access to the 

software development expertise they needed 

to significantly expand their target market 

to include hospitals and clinicians that use 

Android mobile devices. 

NIAGARA 

COLLEGE 

Better hearing tests 

sound sweet 

Ultimate Kiosk is connecting those in 

need of hearing tests with the latest 

state-of-the-market technology, thanks 

to a partnership with Niagara College. The 

Niagara-based company develops advanced 

hearing tests using the latest software and 

web technology, connecting professionals 

with customers via kiosk locations in 

pharmacies, clinics and community venues. 

Niagara College students worked with 

Ultimate Kiosk to enhance their software 

capabilities, creating specialized testing 

for targeted groups such as noise-exposed 

workers. 

They also helped modify the software for 

the inclusion of drug trials and also allow 

the administrator to remotely manage many 

aspects of the software platform. 

The project helped the company boost 

revenue streams and create jobs, as well 

as provide the foundation to deploy this 

screening technology internationally. 

The features developed by Niagara College 

have been instrumental in increasing the 

quality and pace of software development, 

keys to gaining an advantage in the 

international markets. 

So far, Ultimate Kiosk has launched 

the updated software and established 

relationships with three international 

manufacturers, allowing for the creation of 

a kiosk solution product category across the 

industry internationally. Most recently, the 

company has also added two new full-time 

positions. 

...the “Swiss army knife” of ATV 

utility trailers... 

Having physicians sort through several 

different records is frustrating... 

...specialized testing for targeted groups such 

as noise-exposed workers. 


NORTHERN 

COLLEGE 

Canine laser therapy to be 

unleashed 

Can laser therapy work for dogs 

Meditech International Inc. believes 

so. For over 20 years this Ontario headquartered 

medical device company has 

pioneered new low-intensity laser therapy 

products. And today, Meditech believes 

the positive effects of laser therapy can 

also be applied to pets. 

With very little published research on 

the effectiveness of animal laser therapy, 

Meditech worked with Northern College 

and designed a clinical study of postsurgical 

wound healing in dogs that 

is being carried out at the Haileybury 

Campus Veterinary Technology School. 

Students from the college’s Animal 

Rehabilitation Program studied dogs that 

have undergone surgery into two groups; 

standard care, and standard care plus laser 

therapy. 

Working under a veterinarian’s supervision, 

the students have been documenting the 

progress of the two study groups with 

respect to wound measurements and pain 

assessments. 

Nearing completion, this project will provide 

Meditech with clinical research results from 

which a targeted plan can be developed 

toward the veterinary services sector. 

A published paper will capture the 

clinical results, providing best-practices 

for application across Canada and 

internationally. Meditech anticipates that 

demand for its veterinary laser product will 

double as a result, which will lead to new 

jobs at their Toronto manufacturing facility. 

SAULT 

COLLEGE 

Automotive access 

automatically 

Mobile technologies have turned 

smartphones into powerful computers 

with countless applications that fuel the 

increasing demands of global markets 

across all industries, including the auto 

sector. 

Wanting to hit the accelerator, GlobalAuto- 

Service Inc. needed help to develop their 

patented technology and partnered with 

Sault College to design and test a working 

prototype of their Mobile Vehicle Data Portal. 

This customer-oriented system 

encompasses a newly developed 

information and communication 

technology that transfers data from a 

vehicle’s onboard diagnostic system 

using Bluetooth, through your mobile 

smartphone, to a remote web server. This 

enables web access to the data by you or by 

your mechanic, if your vehicle breaks down. 

The prototype provides GlobalAutoService 

Inc. with a working model that can be 

demonstrated to stakeholders, allowing 

the company to advance the development 

of its technology to commercialization. 

The market version of this technology 

will provide potential clients with a 

compliment of valuable, new diagnostic 

and preventative maintenance services 

that can be offered to motorists, ultimately 

leading to increased revenue and jobs for 

the industry. 

And en route, a Sault College graduate 

researcher acquired new skills specific 

to vehicle computer systems including 

software design, programming, and the 

development of Android applications. 

SENECA 

COLLEGE 

Cooling hot data centres 

Data centres carry, store and transport 

so much information, so quickly, they 

can run hotter than an engine. 

Cloud Dynamics, a leading provider of 

cloud computing solutions, is developing 

a second generation heat management 

system for their ultra-high-density cloud 

data center unit. 

With support from Seneca College, a 

preliminary design was created and the 

electronic instrumentation for the new 

system’s control panel was assessed, 

evaluated and selected. 

The project also helped spark a broader 

relationship between Seneca College and 

Cloud Dynamics, with college faculty and 

students from various programs working 

with Cloud Dynamics on additional 

applied research projects. As a result, 

Cloud Dynamics continues to hire Seneca 

graduates and co-op students because of 

their unique training, experience and skill 

sets. 

This win-win collaboration helped position 

Cloud Dynamics as a global leader in data 

center deployment, becoming the only 

cloud technology company to offer a fullpackage 

solution to data center operators. 

Meanwhile, Seneca graduates have steadily 

filled the jobs they helped to create by 

impressing Cloud Dynamics during these 

collaborations. 

Can laser therapy work for dogs 

Wanting to hit the accelerator, 

GlobalAutoService Inc. needed help to 

develop their patented technology... 

Seneca graduates have steadily filled the jobs 

they helped to create... 


SHERIDAN 

COLLEGE 

3D sneak peek for 

filmmakers 

Javelin Reality, the virtual reality 

department of Oakville-based Javelin 

Technologies, needed the resources to 

develop a prototype of its new, costeffective 

3D previsualization program. 

This program can help film makers and 

game designers test and review scenes 

on their computers, giving them a 

“preview” of their 3D material before using 

specialized 3D equipment. This allows 

designers to construct a scene, arrange 

characters and sets and select camera 

angles, saving time and money. 

However, affordable 3D ‘previs’ tools are 

difficult to access in the current market, 

especially for smaller productions. 

Over the summer of 2012, Javelin worked 

with three programmers and a project 

manager from Sheridan’s Faculty of 

Applied Science and Technology. The 

Sheridan team developed a set of motion 

capture and virtual camera tools for the 

previsualization prototype, giving Javelin 

the momentum they needed to secure 

additional federal funding to further 

develop the product for a proposed 

commercial launch next year. 

Javelin is continuing their partnership 

with Sheridan, this time working with the 

College’s Screen Industries Research and 

Training (SIRT) Centre to develop the key 

stereoscopic 3D tools and interface for the 

creative digital media market. 

ST. CLAIR 

COLLEGE 

Glowing toilet seat set to 

make a splash 

Who hasn’t stumbled in the dark 

trying to find the toilet Pottyglow Inc. 

believes it has found a solution to this 

annoying problem. 

The company engaged a multifunctional 

team of students, faculty and 

administrators from St. Clair College to relaunch 

their trademark Glow-In-The-Dark 

toilet seats for a whole new market. 

Driving this project was the fact that 

traditional hardware and big box stores 

have expressed an interest in selling a 

toilet seat that could illuminate in low light 

conditions. 

The challenge was to take a successful 

novelty item and design a new product 

that could maintain the glow capacity for a 

full eight hours. The project team was also 

responsible for rebranding the Pottyglow 

concept and identifying new sales and 

marketing channels. 

The project team worked with a local 

plastic company to develop several 

prototypes using new glow compounds. 

The team was successful in developing 

two products, blue-glow and green-glow, 

that performed well beyond the targeted 

eight hours that has been aptly named 

Nightglow. 

A full social media marketing plan was 

created as well as an e-commerce sales 

plan. Nightglow is now appearing at trade 

and consumer products shows across 

Canada and will hit the shelves in the 

summer of 2013. 

ST. LAWRENCE 

COLLEGE 

Green cleaning of dirty soil 

Picture the development of just 

about any residential, commercial or 

industrial site. Now picture how the 

surrounding soil is impacted with 

petroleum hydrocarbons, metals and 

salts. 

That’s where Lafleche Leblanc Soil 

Recycling Inc. (LLSR) comes in. The Moose 

Creek-based company just outside of 

Cornwall specializes in the treatment 

of non-hazardous soils impacted from 

such development sites. The company 

provides an environmentally responsible 

alternative to dumping contaminated soil 

into landfills. At LLSR’s soil-processing 

site, bacteria digest and neutralize the 

contaminants within the soil. However, 

the bacteria are most active and hungry in 

warm weather. 

In late 2011, LLSR approached St. Lawrence 

College to explore the feasibility of using 

more cold-weather bacteria to expand the 

company’s composting season. This would 

enable the company to make fuller use of 

its soil reclamation site, save money and 

expand its service to clients. 

College biology faculty at the Cornwall 

Campus worked with the St. Lawrence 

River Institute of Environmental Science. 

Together, they bench tested certain coldweather 

bacteria and yielded encouraging 

results. 

So encouraging in fact, that LLSR projects 

two new jobs will be created in processing 

and sales. And once piloted, the company 

also envisions using this cold-weather 

bacteria system at its three other Ontario 

sites, creating even more jobs. 

...affordable 3D ‘previs’ tools are difficult 

to access in the current market, especially 

for smaller productions. 

...an environmentally responsible alternative 

to dumping contaminated soil into landfills. 

...an interest in selling a toilet seat that could 

illuminate in low light conditions. 


COLLÈGE BORÉAL 

NexJ Systems 

CONII FEATURE PROJECT 

Nothing Lost in Translation 

NexJ Systems Inc. couldn’t afford to lose anything in the 

translation. 

The Toronto-based provider of cloud-based software has 

received numerous awards for its innovative Customer 

Relationship Management (CRM) software. NexJ focuses on three 

markets; financial services (with three of the six largest wealth 

management firms as customers), insurance and healthcare. 

Ready to expand into new Canadian francophone markets, NexJ 

needed help to translate their applications into French. Just a 

simple matter of translation, right Wrong. This project required 

so much more. 

With support from CONII, NexJ worked with Collège Boréal to 

ensure the meaning of the terms within their solutions were 

effectively captured in a way that made them both culturally and 

technically relevant. 

For this project to succeed, what was needed was technical 

understanding of how these applications worked, as well as an 

understanding of how the business terms can be best translated. 

“They needed someone with knowledge of software code and how 

applications are built in order to do the translation correctly,” said 

Paul Paiement, a professor in Boréal’s Computer Engineering 

Technology Program. 

“What had to be translated needed to be looked at from the perspective 

of a software developer. A lot of the work turned out to be dealing with 

error/warning/information messages,” added Paiemant. 

Navigating acronyms also proved a challenge, as some can be 

translated, while others have no French equivalent. 

As well, Paiement and his team frequently had to contend with 

cultural differences over the course of the project. For example, 

in Québec the term “family doctor” is often used, whereas the 

term “primary care physician” is more frequently used across 

other provinces. That said, the college’s research found enough 

Quebec references with the term “primary care physician” to use 

that term. 

“A translation house would not have had this healthcare experience,” 

added Adam Edmonds, Vice President, Product Management, 

NexJ Systems. “They would be subcontracting out or having to learn 

about that space on their own instead of having access to experts.” 

NexJ was thrilled with the final result. And the collaboration 

continues with a Collège Boréal student working at NexJ for a 

co-op term, while the company begins marketing and selling its 

solutions to French speaking markets. 

“It was a great experience, the translation went very smoothly 

and efficiently,” said Edmonds. “(The college) really took the lead 

on doing their side of the work, so the management of it was not 

difficult.” 

“This has opened up new markets for us, particularly within disease 

screening which seems to be getting a lot of attention in Canada,” 

continued Edmonds. “Now we can go into any of the French or 

English markets.” 

The collaboration with Boreal also showed NexJ what’s involved 

in having a complex software application translated, which will 

prove useful if they choose to expand their business to other 

international markets. 

Another advantage the college had – access to its health sciences 

program. “If we were looking for a translation for a medical term we 

had access to our health sciences faculty to help us,” noted Paiement. 

Collaborating with educational institutions has always 

been extremely beneficial to NexJ and we look forward to 

continuing to work with colleges as we grow our business. 

Adam Edmonds, Vice President, Product Management, NexJ Systems 


DURHAM COLLEGE 

Bykart Software 

Painless Scheduling for Hospital Clinics 


When it comes to organizing medical appointments 

for patients with cancer and other serious conditions – 

organizing the appointments can be as complicated as 

surgery. 

Not only are a complex series of appointments, tests and 

treatment sessions needed, often the treatment at one 

appointment depends entirely on the results of the previous one. 

To simplify patient scheduling, Bykart Software unveiled its 

flagship product, the Chemotherapy Appointment Reservation 

Manager (CHARM) in 2009. 

CHARM is an oncology appointment manager that expands 

a cancer clinic’s capacity to treat more patients with existing 

resources. It does this by automating processes to more 

efficiently to facilitate approvals of chemotherapy between the 

chemotherapy unit, pharmacy and clinicians, and by improving 

scheduling and communication among care providers. 

First used at the Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Health 

Sciences Centre, CHARM proved so effective, the clinic is 

accepting 47% more patients with the same personnel and the 

same equipment before using CHARM. 

With CHARM’s model proven, Bykart wanted to expand this 

product to create a fully scalable and robust system that can go 

outside chemotherapy anywhere in a hospital – any setting that 

requires patient management. 

With CONII support, a team of Durham students and faculty worked 

with Bykart and transformed CHARM into new appointment 

management tools such as the OpenHRx product suite. 

OpenHRx is a new Health Care Solutions platform that enables 

communication and coordination between users, other 

applications, web services, databases and even portable devices 

such as tablets. 

OpenHRx product suite. The students’ work helped Bykart secure 

new contracts with local hospitals such as Women’s College 

Hospital who felt the OpenHRx application was perfect for 

addressing clinic scheduling problems. 

Other clinics such as the Louise Temerty Breast Cancer Centre 

followed suit, purchasing Bykart’s software to help manage their 

operations as well. 

Durham also helped Bykart ramp up their company website to 

make it more visually appealing and user friendly. 

“We’re good designers of applications but we needed talented artists 

who are good at web design – we didn’t have that expertise,” said 

Thane Fitzgerald, Bykart’s senior designer. 

Durham’s Media Arts and Design Department and Durham’s 

school of Business and IT Management, fused business 

functionality with cutting edge design to make the website userfriendly, 

explained Peter Forint, a Durham College industry liaison 

project manager. 

“It was such a thrill working with Bykart because their people took 

their role very seriously, they went above and beyond in terms of 

mentoring our students,” added Forint. 

Durham College also worked with the company to secure office 

space in The Incubator − a collaborative setting for entrepreneurs 

located at Durham College’s Whitby campus. Durham staff 

also connected Bykart Software Ltd with Spark Centre, the 

local Regional Innovation Centre for assistance with their 

commercialization strategy. 

Bykart is so busy that the company has since 

hired three Durham students and one Durham 

instructor to help with the demand on their 

new products, which they project will be 

used across Canada and eventually the US. 

The students, under Bykart’s supervision, designed the new 

graphical user interface and upgraded the look and feel of the 

The students had the skill set to work with us 

right away …and these students were hungry. 

Thane Fitzgerald, Senior Designer, Bykart Software 


GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE 

SOS Customer Service 


Crane for Installing Windows Clearly Needed 

Across Canada, construction crews and developers are 

experiencing “window pain.” The problem Installing 

windows in residential and commercial buildings is 

expensive, time consuming and even dangerous. 

Currently, windows in most buildings are installed in one of two 

ways. Either they are installed with a system of cables and pulleys, 

which can be cumbersome and can put workers at risk or they are 

installed using a large “spider crane” which is expensive to operate 

and sometimes too cumbersome for installing smaller windows. 

SOS Customer Service, a small Mississauga-based company that 

specializes in the design, development, sales and services of 

cranes and hoists wanted to develop a better solution. 

With CONII support, SOS worked with George Brown’s College’s 

Centre for Construction and Engineering Technologies to design, 

prototype and test a novel, lightweight and portable crane 

designed specifically for installing windows in commercial and 

residential buildings. 

Company president Karl Sos approached the college with a 

basic design and a wish list − the crane would need to be easily 

transportable by elevator; easy to transport over distance; 

assembled quickly by one worker; inexpensive to manufacture; 

remotely operable; and able to lift 1500 pounds. 

weighs about 600 pounds and though it’s still being fine tuned, 

covers every one of Sos’s requirements. 

“If you give students the opportunity to go outside the box and really 

take on the challenge, they can come up with solutions,” said Sos. 

“They’ve done a great job.” 

Already at the field-testing stage, this crane could make big 

impact in Canada’s huge construction industry that provides 12% 

of annual Canadian GDP and employs more than 750,000 people 

nationally. 

When the new crane reaches the market sometime in the fall, SOS 

expects to manufacture about 300 units per year, of which 100 

will be leased to customers, and the rest sold through a network 

of dealers and distributors nationwide and abroad. The company 

also projects the production and service of these cranes could 

result in 15 new jobs. 

“This is a perfect example of how the college can help the industry to 

modernize and how our students, by working on this kind of project, 

will have that eye to go out to construction sites and say, “We can be 

more efficient, we can be more productive, we can do this better,” said 

Dawn Davidson, George Brown College’s Director of Research and 

Innovation. 

With these specs, George Brown College instructors and students 

from both the engineering faculty and the construction faculty 

rolled up their sleeves and got to work. 

They designed and developed a prototype that impressed Sos, 

who sees this crane having an enormous impact on Canada’s 

construction sector. That’s good news considering building 

construction is among Canada’s largest industries where there are 

over 65,000 workers in residential construction and 150,000 in the 

trade contracting industry. 

The battery powered crane is operated by a remote control, 

This project is clear evidence that success and 

future of our country depends on close relationship 

between business, academia and students. 

Karl Sos, President, SOS Customer Service. 


NIAGARA COLLEGE 

Norgen Biotek 


Niagara a Perfect Match for Manufacturing DNA Kits 

With an international customer base and a world-renowned 

reputation for quality, Norgen Biotek Corp. needs to keep up 

with the pressing demands of the world of biotechnology. 

The Niagara-based company is dedicated to providing its 

customers with first-class sample preparation kits for RNA, 

microRNA, DNA and protein purification, clean-up and 

concentration, while also providing dedicated and expert support 

services to customers and partners worldwide. The kits are used 

for both genomic studies as well as the diagnosis of pathogens. 

The company has become so successful, in fact, that it needed to 

address issues associated with increased product demand. 

A key part of the kit’s assembly was automating the liquid filling 

process to uniformly distribute their patented silicon carbide resin 

on a filter sheet. This resin-filter matrix is then cut, inserted into 

plastic columns, and used in Norgen Biotek’s kits to isolate the 

targeted macromolecules from the sample. 

To speed up production of these kits and improve consistency, 

Norgen needed to develop a way to evenly distribute their 

patented silicon carbide resin on a filter sheet. 

With CONII support, Norgen worked with Niagara College to 

introduce manufacturing process that could continuously mix and 

spray the resin on a flat surface uniformly. 

“This was not an easy task,” stressed Lindsay Engel, a research 

project manager with Niagara Research. “Silicon carbide has a 

density of more than three times that of water and therefore it’s 

difficult to keep in uniform suspension in water for spraying on the 

filter sheet,” she explained. 

students, noting they were of very high quality and conformed 

to the part blueprints. Norgen originally came with a concept 

in mind, but the students and faculty applied their ideas and 

provided a solution that advanced the original concept. 

“During this project I was able to regularly visit Niagara College to 

work directly with the students and clarify any questions they might 

have,” said Findlay. “I was impressed by the professionalism and 

work ethics of the college staff. They were very accommodating, 

professional and helpful, providing excellent feedback and ensuring 

the project ran smoothly and efficiently.” 

Niagara’s Advanced Manufacturing team has members from the 

mechanical engineering department, the electrical engineering 

department, as well as welders and machinists, and this project 

brought together a full suite of expertise, said Engel. 

“We’re able to do all the work in-house, we didn’t have to get anything 

fabricated or assembled. So it also allows us to be a little more flexible 

and respond quickly to changes or make any adaptations,” Engel 

added. 

As a result of this and a previous manufacturing project along with 

additional process improvements initiatives at Norgen Biotek, 

Niagara College helped Norgen increase its production volume 

from 10 kits to 240 kits per day. As well, from this project a fulltime 

job was created. 

“Working with the college provided us with access to high quality 

machining knowledge and capabilities, producing parts for solutions 

that will improve our manufacturing processes,” said Findlay. 

In order to make easier to work with this resin, it is critical to keep 

it mixing and dispensing uniformly. 

David Findlay, a research engineer at Norgen Biotek, was very 

impressed with the parts produced by the Niagara College 

This project was a vital step for Norgen, as a global 

player in the sample preparation market. 

David Findlay, Research Engineer, Norgen Biotek Corp.. 


Opening An Exciting New Chapter 

For CONII And Ontario Colleges 

CONII reached a milestone in February 2013 when it commenced its 

integration with Ontario Centres Of Excellence. 

This development arose from discussions between the colleges, OCE and the Ministry 

of Economic Development and Innovation and was unanimously endorsed as a positive 

way forward to strengthen the role of the college system as a force for innovation. 

“CONII already has a strong track record of success in fostering industry 

innovation through strategic partnerships with the province’s colleges,” 

says Dr. Tom Corr, President and CEO of OCE. “The college network has laid a 

solid groundwork with a suite of programs that complement what OCE is doing. 

We will be building on the strengths of this work while ensuring that the college 

system is able to take full advantage of all that OCE has to offer. This integration 

will create new opportunities and bring significant benefit to our 

shared stakeholders.” 


The support CONII has been providing to the college system for the past seven years is being seamlessly 

transferred through its existing leadership to OCE, with no impact on existing programs. 

Bringing CONII under the OCE umbrella is expected to lead to a number of positive outcomes: 

• Colleges will become more aware of existing and new OCE programs and gain increased access to them 

• As an internal body, CONII can influence the development of programing in a manner that benefits 

colleges and OCE 

• Colleges will benefit from the combined business development resources of OCE and CONII 

A College Advisory Board will provide advice to OCE about the role of colleges in the innovation continuum and 

new program development. 

A network founded in 2006 with ten colleges has now grown to include all 24 of the province’s colleges, a clear 

sign of the growing impact of college’s in helping businesses compete in a challenging global economy. 

Over the next few months, the CONII program and OCE leadership will work together to fully integrate our 

programs and identify new opportunities for collaboration. This will include partnerships between colleges and 

industry as well as between colleges and universities as we work together to strengthen Ontario’s economy by 

driving business innovation. 


Board Members 2012/13 

Dan Patterson (Chair) 


Chris Berni (Secretary/ 

Treasurer) Georgian College 

Michel Caron 

La Cité collégiale 

Ross Danaher 

Loyalist College 

Dan Douglas 

Fanshawe College 

Trish Dryden 

Centennial College 

Renée Hallée 

Collège Boréal 

Tori Hanson 

Northern College 

Blane Harvey 

Fleming College 

Mark Hoddenbagh 

Algonquin College 

Colin Kelly 

Confederation College 

Colin Kirkwood 

Sault College 

Mark Lamontagne 

Canadore College 

Darren Lawless 

Sheridan College 

Maike Luiken 

Lambton College 

Robert Luke 

George Brown College 

Sherrill McCall 

Cambrian College 

Cam McEachern 

St. Lawrence College 

Debbie McKee Demczyk 

Durham College 

Michael McNamara 

Seneca College 

Patricia Morgan 

Humber College 

Marc Nantel 


Greg Robertson 

Conestoga College 

Ted Scott 

Mohawk College 

Peter Tumidajski 

St. Clair College 

External 

Advisors 

John Breakey 

CEO; Fivel Systems Corp 

Angelo DelDuca 

Director, Ontario; NRC-IRAP 

Murray Gamble 

President, C3 Group of Companies 

Jonathan Hack 

Manager, Bombardier 

Aerospace 

Ray Hoemsen 

Director, Red River College 

Scott Inwood 

Director, Waterloo Commercialization 

Office (WatCo) 

CONII Staff 

Vanessa Williamson 

Executive Director 

Greg Williams 

Managing Director, 

Good Harbour Laboratories 

Jason Lukez 

VP Finance; Cyborg Trading 

Systems 

Caroline Dykstra Nielsen 

Principal; N2 Compliance Ltd 

Adi Treasurywala 

President, ArrowCan Partners 

Anna Schwarz 

Financial and Administrative Officer

CONII Annual Report 2012-13 - Ontario Centres of Excellence

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