Surf Cat

A virtual Summer Market event was organized by Algonquin College for students and staff this summer.

The Summer Market was jam-packed with 10 workshops from local industry experts and an exclusive musical performance featuring Jason Blaine.

“There were five of us who hosted it, and we all led different workshops throughout. We had 10 workshops, and we split out between five of us. I led the wakeboarding demo workshop, ice cream sandwich and the mocktail workshop,” said Michelle Hevey, the event host.

Students and staff got to learn new recipes for beverages and dishes. They also got local advice from different industries on growing herbs, recommendations on summer drinks, safety and fun summer activity, and got an opportunity to attend a live music performance.

“Everyone seemed engaged, and we encouraged the participants to turn on their camera and use the chat feature on Zoom. We all were able to form a community, and they were asking questions. We wanted staff and students to come together, take a break, relax and participate in the summer market to do something new and I think we achieved that,” said Hevey.

“The events team scheduled a variety of workshops under the following categories, Summer Fun, Chef’s Corner and Stay Busy This Summer. We also incorporated a live music component, featuring Algonquin College alumni Jason Blaine,” said Leanne Jarrett.

Each category featured different workshops:

1. Summer Fun

· Summer fun herbs and houseplants – Emma Terrell provided strategies for houseplant care.

· Summer wine and beer recommendations – Greg Nyman guided participants through what to look for and recommended his summer favourites. Which were: Stiegl Radler, Big Rig Premium Pilsner, Great Lakes IPA Sunnyside.

· Wakeboarding demo – Evolution Wake Park founder and owner, Jordan Sien, gave live tips and tricks on how to get you started for summer on the water.

2. Live music with Jason Blaine – He started singing with his new song “Mood Swings” and ended with “Born to Love” song. The video is available on YouTube.

3. Chef’s Corner

· Backyard grilling – Algonquin College’s Executive Chef Russell Weir taught the art of backyard grilling.

· Summer reset and rejuvenation – Melissa Shabinsky from Raw Pulp and Grind Juice Barnee talked about the health benefits of juicing, blending, and superfoods.

“I know a lot of us our focusing in staying healthy and focusing on boosting our immune system, by consuming more fruits and veggies, it is amazing way,” said Shabinsky, while making kale and spinach smoothie.

· Ice-cream sandwich workshop – The Merry Dairy baked famous nut-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and paired them with salted caramel, raspberry cheesecake and chocolate ice cream.

4. Stay Busy this Summer

· Summer mocktails workshop – Jonah McPherson taught how to mix the perfect mocktail by incorporating seasonal fruits and herbs, like Raspberry Simple Syrup, Virgin Pine-alapeno Margarita and Grapefruit Granita.

· What to do in Ottawa this summer? – Jantine Van Kregten of Ottawa Tourism told the audience to check out, the local craft beer, arcane trivia, quirky festivals, unusual museums, and fun outdoor activities (Gatineau Park, Greenbelt, NCC beaches).

More details can are on Ottawa Tourism website.

· Permaculture workshop – The audience got to learn tips on how to grow vegetables in small spaces, some essential basic need-to-knows for the home gardener and insight on how to preserve food.

· Zumba class – The audience was ready with their shoes and water for a playful workout.

“My experience at this event was great! I attended the Ice Cream Sandwich workshop with Merry Dairy and the Summer Mocktails workshop. It was super easy to sign up and join the workshops, and it was such a nice break in an otherwise busy day. I also really enjoyed seeing colleagues virtually that I don’t get to see very often,” said Rachael Graham, a participant in the event.

“The audience in the workshops that I attended were really engaged. They asked us a question at the beginning of each of them for all of us to answer at once, and it was fun to see the chat light up with everyone’s answers. The audience didn’t hesitate to ask questions, and everyone thanked the workshop facilitators for the presentations. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the opportunity to attend these workshops,” said Graham.

“What is so great about virtual events, we can record each session, and the attendees can watch the recordings on their own time and from any location,” said Hevey.

The demo and pdfs related to all the workshops are now available on AC Hub in events and programs.