Holland College Transitions East

We took a road trip to Summerside to tour the Atlantic Police Academy.

1971: Opened

2025: $4.8 M expansion for the Atlantic Tactical Training & Innovation Centre (ATTIC); Features immersive scenario rooms and a virtual reality range, along with augmented and virtual reality training systems.

List of Programs

Police Science (Cadet) - Study Police Science at The Atlantic Police Academy. Acquire the academic and tactical skills required to work as a Police Officer in Canada. Real-life situations and simulations prepare you for a career in law enforcement. Learn use-of-force and control skills, develop criminal investigation techniques, and receive communications and mental health training. https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/police-science-cadet.php

Accommodations: Each single-occupancy room includes a bathroom, fridge, television, air conditioning, and heating. Common areas include a sitting room, laundry and kitchen (non-cooking) facilities. Students are provided with 14 meals a week: breakfast, lunch, and dinner Monday through Thursday, and breakfast and lunch on Friday.

Conservation Enforcement - The 18-week Conservation Enforcement program at The Atlantic Police Academy is specifically designed to provide law-enforcement training to wildlife and forestry technicians. The program prepares students to work for natural resource agencies and in other related fields across Canada. https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/conservation-enforcement.php

Correctional Officer - This 24-week program will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to work in provincial and federal correctional facilities. You will learn how to monitor, supervise and interact with incarcerated offenders and prepare them to become law-abiding citizens after serving their sentences; and you will learn the skills you need to ensure the safety and well-being of inmates, yourself and your colleagues. https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/correctional-officer.php

Professional Firefighter - In the Professional Firefighter program, you will develop the fundamental firefighting skills needed to keep yourself, your colleagues, and the public safe in critical situations. Learn about fire behaviour, motor vehicle extraction, medical first response, and communication in comprehensive training simulations. https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/professional-firefighter.php

We had a great visit to the Inn at Bay Fortune, a five-star luxury country inn and culinary destination on 75 acres in Fortune. Originally built in 1913 as a private summer estate, it has evolved from a quiet artists' retreat into one of Canada's most celebrated farm-to-table dining experiences.

We toured the back-of-house (kitchens) and dining room, where everyone was busy getting ready for that night's five-hour Fireworks Feast, an indoor-and-outdoor culinary experience. https://innatbayfortune.com/special-events-offerings/fireworks/

We then went and looked at the new wine attic, wandered the culinary Farm, woodland trails, and art forest, took a look at the greenhouse, walked along Apple Tree Lane, and ended at the Mushroom Patch.

In the Culinary Arts program at Holland College, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of culinary skills from the very basics of knife skills and food preparation to advanced techniques in butchery, international cuisine, and à la carte production.
https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/culinary-arts.php

Pastry Arts: https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/pastry-arts.php

We had a great visit to the Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation in St Peter's.

They showed us the Climate Resilient Demonstration Garden, drones, and sensors; told us about weather monitoring; and we got to see their classrooms and student and faculty accommodations.

We even learned about CLIVE (Coastal Impacts Visualization Environment) – an international award-winning videogame that allows Islanders to fly over PEI, raise and lower sea levels, and turn coastal erosion rates on and off. CLIVE uses a videogame interface that combines available coastal survey data, historical records, and predictive climate change models, and translates them into a 3-dimensional geovisual information tool that can be explored and queried by non-scientist stakeholders.

This 45,000-square-foot facility is part of UPEI, and key research focus areas are sustainable agriculture practices and soil health, coastal processes, flood forecasting, adaptation strategies, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

Curriculum Structure:
• Bachelor of Science in Applied Climate Change and Adaptation: Years 1 and 2 are completed at UPEI Charlottetown, while Years 3 and 4 move to the CCCCA for experiential field learning.
• Master’s and Doctoral programmes in Climate Change and Adaptation, including but not limited to precision agriculture, climate change modelling, water resources management, coastal erosion, climate change and health, etc.

The post-graduate certificate in Sustainable Business Leadership at Holland College is your gateway to the rapidly growing field of sustainability leadership and climate action. The program has been designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience needed to lead organizations towards more sustainable operations and deploy clean tech solutions.https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/sustainable-business-leadership-post-graduate-certificate.php

Thank you Sgt Boutlier, Senior Recruiter, for talking to the class about careers in the Canadian Armed Forces (Forces.ca) - Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The Non-Commissioned Member Subsidized Training and Education Plan (NCMSTEP) offers full-time paid training or education at Canadian colleges, universities and other postsecondary establishments for authorized courses of study related to military occupations.

The Canadian Army is the land component of the Canadian Armed Forces and has over 30 occupations to choose from.

When you join the Royal Canadian Navy, you will be on one of the fleet’s state-of-the-art frigates, support vessels, maritime coastal defence vessels or submarines. There are
8 careers in the Navy to choose from.

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) is a part of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. It defends and protects Canadian and North American airspace in partnership with the United States. They have 52 careers to choose from.

Browse careers: https://forces.ca/en/careers

Whether you’re thinking of going to college or getting your post-grad degree, the CAF can help you with one of their paid education programs. Want to see if they could pay for your program - https://forces.ca/en/paid-education/ncmstep (scroll to the bottom and put in your program, example, Dental Technician. Some careers even offer a bonus for signing up!

Primary Care Paramedicine - https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/primary-care-paramedicine.php

Automotive Technology - https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/automotive-technology.php

Dental Assisting - https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/dental-assisting.php

Radiography - https://www.upei.ca/programs/bachelor-applied-science-radiography

It was a windy and rainy day when we went browsing the St. Peters Landing Shops, but the stores were warm, and the locally made products were really cool and impressive to see.

We ended the afternoon at the Visitor Information Centre where we played some games and stayed dry, and then bought ice cream for the car ride back to school!

Key points:
Established 2005

Shops: Moonlight Bay Craft Shop; Black & White Café and Bistro; DJ’s Dairy Bar, Artisans By The Bay, Julio’s Seafood Market, Fritz Chocolate, Freckles & Porcelain

Recreation: The Confederation Trail runs adjacent to the site, offering easy access for cyclists and hikers. A grassy area with picnic tables, benches & public washrooms is also available, and the Shops & washrooms are wheelchair accessible.

VIC: St. Peter’s Visitor Information Centre - Situated along the Points East Coastal Drive, it provides travel planning, local guides, and access to the Confederation Trail
Amenities & Services
• Vacation planning and itinerary building
• Free Wi-Fi internet access
• Scenic views of local mussel farms
• Direct access to the Confederation Trail

Pints East: Located inside the St. Peter’s Bay Visitor Centre, Pints East offers a curated selection of locally crafted beverages from the Points East Coastal Drive. With an on-site bar and retail take-and-go options

Education: The Fundamental Arts program at Holland College provides you with the opportunity to develop and enhance your skills as an artist through courses in art history, drawing, design, animation, digital photography and more. You will explore mediums such as lino-printing, etching, sculpture, collage, acrylic and watercolour paint. https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/fundamental-arts.php

We had a great day being outside and in nature. We started the afternoon warming up next to the wood stove inside the main building at Hearts At Aberdeen Crossing located off the Selkirk Road.

Owner Aaron has turned acres of land into a new business. He offers experiences that connect to nature, such as forest bathing and guided walks, https://forestscanada.ca/en/resource/ForestBathing
He also hosts yoga and meditation classes; throughout the trails, there are places to sit or just relax in a hammock! He also has a wood-burning sauna and cold plunge pool on site!

We were also joined by Cindy, a Holland College Instructor and Certified Forest and Nature Therapy Guide https://anft.earth/ . When we spend time in nature, we experience benefits to our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual selves, and as a facilitator, she was taught the science behind those benefits.

Did you know that a 20-minute walk in the forest can reduce the level of stress hormone cortisol by 16% compared to people who walk in urban areas? https://www.parkprescriptions.ca/en/about

The Small Business Manager Distance Learning program at Holland College prepares you for an entry-level management position or for operating your own small business. You will take courses such as human resource management, entrepreneurship, and marketing. https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/small-business-manager-distance-learning.php

Overlooking the beautiful Northumberland Strait, Basin Head Fisheries Museum tells the story of the Island’s fishery with displays and exhibits that will take you back in time.

A visit to the Basin Head Fisheries Museum is always great - we get to learn the history of our fishing industry in the museum and cannery, and then head to the beach and listen to the sand sing, look for green crabs and maybe spot a piping plover!

The location is also a Marine Protected Area (MPA):
• The Irish moss that is found at Basin Head has not been found (documented) anywhere else in the world.
• Protecting the Irish Moss also helps with mussels and provides a habitat for fish species.
• Irish moss is a commercially harvested marine plant throughout the Maritimes, although there has been no commercial harvest in the Basin Head MPA since 2000.
• A serious disturbance to the Basin Head ecosystem and a major stressor to blue mussels and Irish moss has been the arrival of the invasive Green crab (Carcinus maenas), discovered in 1999 (DFO 2008).
• The effects of climate change across all of PEI will lead to sea-level rise and more frequent and severe storm surges, making it important to monitor the only ocean opening, as well as sand dune and marsh erosion. Furthermore, climate change will likely bring ice-free winters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and in the meantime, any increase in mobility of ice in the Northeast Arm may increase losses of Irish moss fronds due to ice scouring.
• For Irish moss and Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), temperature stress occurs above 20℃ (water temperature), and sustained temperatures above 28℃ can be lethal.

The Environmental Applied Science Technology program teaches you scientific theory in classes such as environmental microbiology, soil science, air quality, environmental chemistry, environmental management, and site assessments. You will learn about climate change, groundwater contamination and flow, impacts of pollution, ecosystem health, waste management, and environmental sustainability. https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/environmental-applied-science-technology.php

Wildlife Conservation Technology combines the great outdoors with classroom learning. You will learn about plant and animal ecology, environmental chemistry, map use and analysis, canoe safety, advanced wilderness and remote first aid, and wildlife management. https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/wildlife-conservation-technology.php

We cannot believe that it is our last week of transitions!

Morell got out in the sun and played at the Three Rivers Disc Golf Course https://www.discgolfpei.com/the-three-rivers-dgc, and went to the PEI Potters Studio - a great space for beginners and expert ceramic artists.

The Three Rivers Disc Golf Course is Eastern PEI’s first disc golf course. It is a beginner friendly course perfect for families and new players. It has a blend of wooded shots and open field shots, a mix of mature trees in the property including English oak, beech, maple and at least 1 one hundred year old spruce. Experienced players can have a lot of fun here with mid ranges and putters new players will test their skills in several different types of shot. https://www.discgolfpei.com/the-three-rivers-dgc

The Diploma in Sport and Recreation Management prepares students for careers in sport and event tourism, parks and recreation programming, facility management, athletic administration, and related fields. https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/sport-and-recreation-management.php

The Fundamental Arts program provides you with the opportunity to develop and enhance your skills as an artist through courses in art history, drawing, design, animation, digital photography and more. You will explore mediums such as lino-printing, etching, sculpture, collage, acrylic and watercolour paint. https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/fundamental-arts.php

We had fun painting outdoor play equipment at the Eastern Kings Early Learning Academy.

The Early Childhood Care and Education program at Holland College is designed to help students learn to design and implement a curriculum that inspires young minds, supports children's social, emotional, and physical development, and promotes inclusion. https://hollandcollege.com/programs/early-childhood-care-and-education.php

Early Childhood Educators and Assistants in Prince Edward Island remain in high demand. https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/outlook-occupation/5196/PE

We had a great visit to Chris Cahill Construction Ltd. A career in the trades has a great outlook, and as a carpenter, that outlook is very good, https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/outlook-occupation/6388/PE;jsessionid=BDA41A4A6B133D4977BA741AA5C061EB.jobsearch76.

At Holland College, you can complete the course in less than one year, https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/carpentry.php