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Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

Borehole Thermal Energy Storage System

Model of the Borehole Thermal Energy System at UOIT

Hidden beneath the 7,500 square-metre quad at the centre of our university’s complex is Canada’s largest geothermal system. The geothermal well field is the central component in the 1,500-ton Borehole Thermal Energy Storage System. Drilling was completed in November 2003 and involved three rigs, each drilling one hole per day over a span of over 100 days.

Three hundred and eighty-four holes, each 213 metres (700 feet) deep, provide the basis for a highly efficient and environmentally friendly heating and cooling system, capable of regulating the north Oshawa campus location buildings.

A glycol solution, encased in polyethylene tubing, circulates through an interconnected, underground network. During the winter, fluid circulating through tubing extended into the wells collects heat from the earth and carries it into the buildings. The system reverses in the summer to pull heat from the building and place it in the ground.

The geothermal site provides the distinct opportunity to the university’s engineering faculty for use as an invaluable research lab. The facility not only helps to significantly reduce energy consumption, but can also provide extensive research opportunities and enhance the educational experience for students in energy-related programs.