Ontario Tech University celebrates 20 years
Ontario Tech University
A historical timeline
May 9, 2001
Government of Ontario sets aside $60 million in startup funds for a new university through the Ontario SuperBuild Corporation.
June 27, 2002
Bill 109, Schedule O, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Act gains royal assent, officially founding the new university.
June 19, 2003
Exceeded enrolment projection with more than 800 applicants.
September 4, 2003
Doors officially opened to inaugural class. The first two academic structures are today’s Science Building and the Business and Information Technology Building.
November 7, 2003
Construction completed for one of the largest geothermal wells in North America.
Three hundred and eighty-four holes, each drilled 213 metres (700 feet) into the earth linked to mechanical systems provide buildings with highly efficient and environmentally friendly heating and cooling.
Learn more about this event on November 7, 2003
January 27, 2004
Officially opened Campus Tennis Centre.
April 20, 2004
June 4, 2004
First convocation held for Bachelor of Education graduates.
July 6, 2004
The Estate of Kerry Willoughby donated more than $1 million to student success.
July 19, 2004
BMO Financial Group Donated $1 Million to Help Establish Campus Library.
November 12, 2004
Ontario Tech received its first Tier 1 Canada Research Chair.
December 2, 2004
December 9, 2004
Women’s Ridgebacks hockey team played historic first game.
March 15, 2005
Group of Engineering students launched first-ever Solar Vehicle Team.
April 11, 2005
Ontario Power Generation invested $10 million in education to help meet the growing need for energy specialists.
April 15, 2005
April 21, 2005
First Canadian Master’s program in IT Security launched.
September 15, 2005
Outpaced enrolment of other Ontario universities by 21 per cent.
March 29, 2006
April 26, 2006
Dr. Ronald Bordessa announced as second President and Vice-Chancellor.
March 30, 2007
Opened the Ontario Power Generation Engineering Building.
June 1, 2007
First all-faculty Convocation conferred nearly 700 degrees.
June 13, 2007
Lenovo Canada announced $2 million donation to boost opportunities for university students.
September 5, 2007
Province invested $10 million to build new facilities and to help university grow.
September 12, 2007
Opened the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre, Campus Ice Centre, and Campus Tennis Centre.
October 19, 2007
Received an A+ on the Globe and Mail’s University Report Card for the quality of technology, and included on a list of five 'Hot' universities that are leading a technology wave.
April 1, 2008
New $120-million General Motors of Canada Automotive Centre of Excellence launched.
October 20, 2008
The Faculty of Education relocated to downtown Oshawa, establishing the university’s first presence in the city’s core.
November 7, 2008
March 25, 2009
Ontario’s first Mobile Devices course launched to meet growing demands of digital economy.
May 29, 2009
Federal and provincial governments invested $73 million in the Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) and the construction of the Energy Systems and Nuclear Science Research Centre, now known as the Energy Research Centre.
June 15, 2009
The number of high school students confirmed our university as their first choice for post-secondary education increased by 6.4 per cent with the system average at only 2.3 per cent.
November 9, 2009
Received ownership of the historic Regent Theatre in downtown Oshawa and announced plans for construction of new building, now known as Bordessa Hall.
June 7, 2010
June 21, 2010
The Faculty of Social Science and Humanities relocated to Bordessa Hall (55 Bond Street East), and Charles Hall (61 Charles Street).
September 1, 2010
Opened the Clean Energy Research Laboratory.
September 9, 2010
June 13, 2011
Opened the Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) Core Research Facility.
July 1, 2011
November 28, 2011
Opened the Energy Research Centre, connecting to the Business and Information Technology Building.
February 3, 2012
September 25, 2012
February 11, 2013
Men’s and women’s hockey program skated into OUA playoffs for the first time.
September 4, 2013
April 24, 2014
Dr. Deb Saucier appointed Provost and Vice-President, Academic.
September 26, 2014
September 15, 2015
Dr. Tim McTiernan reappointed President and Vice-Chancellor.
September 22, 2015
Finalized campus master plan with campus partner Durham College.
November 17, 2015
Joyce Foundation invested $1-million it establish The Joyce Foundation Success Awards.
November 25, 2015
Recognized with a Healthy Workplace Award (Gold category) for the second consecutive year from Regional Municipality of Durham’s Health Department.
November 27, 2015
Reflecting telescope installed Campus Library roof.
October 13, 2016
Federal and provincial governments announced $13-million investment in Software and Informatics Research Centre.
November 6, 2016
Ridgebacks women’s soccer team captured first-ever OUA championship.
January 11, 2017
May 12, 2017
Ridgebacks earned women’s soccer OUA Team of the Year award, and women’s soccer coach OUA Male Coach of the Year award.
July 4, 2017
Office of Graduate Studies renamed to School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
November 1, 2017
Dr. Steven Murphy announced as fourth President and Vice-Chancellor.
November 2, 2017
Opened the Software and Informatics Research Centre creating first academic presence north of Conlin Road.
February 12, 2018
Province of Ontario, Magna International Inc., Multimatic Inc. invested $4 million to enhance ACE with a Moving Ground Plane.
May 29, 2018
Ridgebacks added basketball to varsity program. Men’s and women’s basketball programs joined the Ontario University Athletics in 2019.
August 31, 2018
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $9.46 million in funding to enhance the Automotive Centre of Excellence.
December 18, 2018
Brilliant Catalyst launched to accelerate the development of new ideas, business ventures and innovations.
January 29, 2019
February 28, 2019
Dr. Lori Livingston appointed Provost and Vice-President, Academic.
March 27, 2019
New brand introduced with the transition from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology to Ontario Tech University.
March 6, 2020
May 28, 2020
June 11, 2020
New brand captured a Bronze Award for Best Institutional Brand from the U.S.-based Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
October 13, 2020
Named lead academic institution for Phase 2 of Project Arrow, Canadian-made zero-emissions vehicle design prototype.
November 24, 2020
Won a 2020 Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) Award (Silver) in the discipline of Brand Building and the category of Social Causes.
May 6, 2021
International Atomic Energy Agency designated Ontario Tech as Collaborating Centre.
August 18, 2021
Estate of Nicholas Sion supported Brilliant Energy Institute with a more than $3-million donation.
November 18, 2021
Signed Scarborough Charter to address anti-Black racism.
January 5, 2022
Dr. Steven Murphy reappointed President and Vice-Chancellor.
March 22, 2022
Installed a five-storey, 224-panel solar wall on ACE as part of the university’s pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emission-reduction targets.
June 8, 2022
Convocation ceremonies returned to the outdoor Polonsky Commons setting at the north campus.
July 22, 2022
Long-term commitment to downtown Oshawa enhanced with the purchase of a parcel of land at 154 Bruce Street, adjacent to existing operations in Charles Hall.
January 18, 2023
Ranked top among province’s universities for year-over-year percentage growth in applications.
February 15, 2023
June 12, 2023
Ranked among the highest in the province in year-over-year percentage increase for high school students indicating it as their top university choice (up 17.6 per cent).
June 28, 2023
Ridgebacks varsity sports awarded rights to host first-ever U SPORTS national championship.
July 24, 2023
International survey placed Ontario Tech second among Canada’s ‘youngest’ universities in international survey.
September 4, 2023
