Downsview Campus Frequently Asked Questions

The new campus at 65 Carl Hall Road, Downsview Park, is 138,000 square feet. Within that space is the 29,000 square foot main hangar and a smaller, 10,000 square foot hangar. In comparison, the single hangar at Ashtonbee Campus was 12,500 square feet and the total instructional space was about 40,000 square feet. Downsview Campus gives our aerospace and aviation programs three times more space and places them among the largest in North America.

Centennial College purchased the historic aircraft factory where de Havilland built aircraft from the late 1920s until the early 1980s, when it became a museum. Our campus design included the original hanger built by de Havilland. The last product De Havilland built in this manufacturing facility was the Twin Otter, which was assembled here until the early 80s when de Havilland transferred the facility to SPAR Aerospace.

Transportation is part of Centennial’s DNA – in fact, we were the first to offer Transport-Canada-accredited programs. Ashtonbee campus was created when the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development moved their Provincial Institute of Automotive and Allied Trades (PIAAT) up to Centennial’s new facility in 1969. We have run Aviation Maintenance Engineering (AME) programs at Ashtonbee since 1973.

In 2004, Centennial expanded the Aviation hangar and programs at Ashtonbee, where the aviation programs grew to almost 400 students. When all programs are at full capacity, Downsview Campus will host roughly 1,000 students, of which 600 will be in aviation maintenance engineering programs, 300 in engineering technology programs and 100 in airframe assembly programs.

Currently, Centennial is offering the following programs at Downsview Campus:

• Aviation Technician, Avionics Maintenance – E license (2-year diploma)
• Aviation Technician, Aircraft Maintenance – M license (2-year diploma)
• Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering Technician (2-year diploma)
• Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering Technology (3-year diploma)

Starting fall 2019, we will add:

• Aviation Technology, Aircraft Maintenance and Management (3-year diploma)
• Aviation Technology, Avionics Maintenance and Management (3-year diploma)
• Airframe Assembly (one-semester certificate program)

These programs are not yet commonly available outside Canada, and their variety and scope place Centennial at the forefront of Aviation and Aerospace training in Canada.

The term ‘aerospace’ generally refers to the manufacturing side of the industry, and ‘aviation’ to aircraft maintenance. The Downsview Campus brings together our long-standing aircraft maintenance programs offered through the School of Transportation and our new manufacturing programs offered through our School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science.

We are very excited about the cutting-edge technologies we are able to offer our students at Downsview Campus. Our aerospace maintenance students are working in ventilated clean rooms using the latest technologies to support carbon fiber, composites, repair and manufacturing and in dirty rooms with air showers for sanding and grinding. We also have a fully-functioning autoclave for curing composite products. The Engineering Technology programs have a drone lab, the latest computer numerical control milling and lathe equipment, plus tensile-strength or torsional-strength materials testing labs.

Downsview Campus has a much larger main hangar with auxiliary labs around the perimeter for engine run-up, non-destructive testing and battery testing. With more space, Centennial has enhanced its fleet with a variety of updated and new aircraft, including:

• Four Cessna C-172 piston aircraft
• Two twin-engine Piper Seneca aircraft
• A Cessna Citation II commuter jet
• A Citation Conquest twin-engine turbo prop
• An MB-105 turbine helicopter
• An AS-350 turbine helicopter
• A Bell 206 helicopter
• A Bell 105 helicopter

With the expanded capacity, Centennial has been able to equip a series of component and aviation systems labs for avionics, electrical, turbine engine, piston engine, composites, airframe assembly and sheet metal.

In addition to existing equipment we transferred from Ashtonbee campus, we enhanced the hangars and labs with $9.4 million in tools, components and training aids.

Centennial currently employs about 60 staff at the Downsview Campus, including 40 academic staff, 10 support staff and another 10 contractors. Over time, we will hire more staff as enrolment continues to grow.

To ensure we serve students at Downsview effectively and efficiently, Student Services will offer both virtual and/or in-person services. Starting January 7, 2019, hours of operation are from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, offering students:

• Enrolment Services
• Part-time students support
• Library Services
• International Advising
• Counselling (Personal and Students with Disabilities)
• Study Skills with a Learning Strategist

Students will be able to access certain services in-person or connect virtually with a service provider either from their home or using a dedicated, reserved consultation room. Your service provider will book a consultation room and advise you of the details.

Enrolment Services will offer students services related to:

• General Information
• Admissions
• Fee collection/payment
• Registration
• Financial aid
• Locker reservations
• Help accessing rooms for in-person or virtual consultation

The chart below outlines other services available to students, the hours of operations and contact or room information.

Other Services - Downsview Campus

Yes. If your program is moving to Downsview Campus in January 2019 and you paid for the full-year rental of a locker in September 2018, we will reassign you a new locker when you begin classes at Downsview in the winter 2019 semester. You can find your locker re-assignment on the top right-hand corner of your timetable once web registration opens for Winter 2019. Please note that all Downsview lockers are half size. If you paid for a full-size locker in fall 2018, you will receive a $6 credit on your account that you can put toward your tuition:

$24 (full-size locker rental) minus $18 (half-size locker rental) = $6 (difference/refund)

Yes. The gender-neutral washrooms are in the following locations:

• Room 121
• Room 133
• Room 222P (Staff Washroom)

Centennial’s information technology (IT) team has played an active role in preparing the campus for the move in, including cabling and setting up work stations for staff who will support student learning, and ensuring computer labs and stations will be ready for student use in January.

In addition to Wi-Fi, the campus will have 25 open-access computers along with four quick access stations. Library services will also provide 10 laptops and 10 iPads for student sign out.

The campus will have two traditional 48-seat labs - one for each school. In addition, IT will set up 63 computers in five specialised SETAS labs, for a total of approximately 200 academic computers planned for the Downsview Campus. IT will install the computer stations as construction permits.

There will be a small library and library services offered at the Downsview Campus as follows:

Hours of Operation

January 2- 4, 2019 - 8:30am – 4:00pm
January 7-April 18, 2019

• Monday - Thursday, 8:00am - 7:00pm
• Friday, 8:00am - 4:00pm

Staff - Two Library Technicians will work on different shifts, one from 8:00am – 3:30 and the other from 11:30 – 7:00pm,

• Contact - Senior Library Technician, Downsview – Jessica Haddon, jhaddon@centennialcollege.ca
• Location – Room 120, LIB/ES workroom

Peer Tutors

Starting January 14 during regular hours of operation

Learning Centre

Hours: January 14 - April 18, 2019, 8:30am - 4:00pm
Staff:

• Contact - Senior Library Technician, Downsview – Jessica Haddon, jhaddon@centennialcollege.ca
• PT Learning Strategist, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:30am – 4:00pm (time tentative)
• PT Learning Strategist, Tuesday and Thursday, 10am-3:00pm (time tentative)
• Tutors hired as needed, 8:30am – 4:00pm

We will continue to provide updated hours and services as information becomes available.

The Downsview Campus is located on Canada Lands’ property, which has designated open-access parking areas for staff, students and visitors. Please see parking map. Most of the parking is located on the east side of the campus and to the east of 75 Carl Hall Road (just south-east of the campus) Staff and students who park in other tenant parking areas (indicated on the map) risk receiving a parking ticket through Canada Lands’ enforcement process.

Canada Lands recommends drivers use Chesswood Drive to access Carl Hall Road, for better traffic flow. You can access Chesswood Drive from Sheppard Avenue W.

Please refer to the Downsview Campus parking map.

Currently, Canada Lands does not charge parking fees at this facility, nor are drivers required to display a permit.

The College’s lease gives us access to 265 spaces in the open-access lots.

The Downsview Campus is close to the Sheppard Avenue West subway station, taking the 101 bus which stops at the campus’ front door. Additionally, the campus is located about a 10-minute walk from the new Downsview Park subway station and GO train station, using a lighted walkway that guides commuters from the station to the campus. For other transit options, check out the TTC Trip Planner.

The Downsview Campus does not have a fitness facility. However, the College’s Athletics and Recreation (A&R) team has been working with two local facilities to arrange access for Centennial College students. Students will have access to the following drop-in activities:

HoopDome  - Basketball (time TBD)

Hangar Sports and Event Centre - Ball hockey and soccer (time TBD)

Scotiabank Pond - Recreational skate Wednesday's at lunch (time TBD)

Participants must show their student ID and sign in. A&R is still finalizing the costs related to these activities, and hopes to offer them to students at no charge as part of their A&R ancillary fee. They are also waiting to see if the new campus can accommodate table tennis so they can offer students drop-in games. A&R plans to have one of their part-time professional staff provide support and service to students twice weekly, monitor activities, track usage, survey students and promote the various programs and services available at other campus. Students who live near our four main campuses can still choose to access, at no cost, Centennial’s fitness facilities during normal operating hours (registration required).

Our Aramark food services team, with the help of their dietitians and other culinary experts will open a Market & Grille concept, called “The Market”. They will go above and beyond to deliver the perfect range of menus, sourcing options and experiences for the Downsview campus, while taking into account the latest trends and innovations to serve you.

Aramark will offer hours of operation according to schedules and population volume to ensure efficient service. Aramark will post the hours at the campus and on its Centennial College Food Services website.

Aramark plans to offer the following food services at the new Downsview Campus:

Grille Works: offers fresh food fast. Work your favorite meats or veggies into a sesame bun or wrap. Add signature sauce, toppings and sides

Market Express: offers tasty flat bread pizza, market salads, wraps, Paninis, sandwiches, specialty coffee.

Express: offers a quick and convenient grab-and-go option with a large selection of entrée salads, side salads, subs, wraps, sandwiches, fresh fruit cups, veggie cups, parfait, yogurt, rotating specialty items

Yes, you can use myCard to pay for your food services at Downsview Campus. Be sure to load funds to your myCard.

While we will not have a dedicated, one-site bookstore at Downsview Campus, Follet has set up a convenient "pop-up" bookstore at Downsview Campus during the start of the winter and fall semesters, and the summer semester if required. The temporary bookstore will be available for a limited time to sell course materials, course supplies and Centennial College clothing and gifts. The temporary location and hours will be posted at the start of each semester.

Downsview Campus students are encouraged to go online to eCentennial and use the Follett Discover link to find and purchase course materials prior to the start of class. Students can choose to have course materials delivered to their home or available for pickup at the Downsview Campus during the start of classes.

To order your course materials online:

1. Log into myCentennial
2. Next, go to “Student” and then “Registration”
3. Select “Click here to buy your books” on the right side of the screen

Unfortunately, the “pop-up” bookstore at Downsview Campus will be a temporary vendor and, as such, will not be set up to accept myCard payments for course materials. However, you can use myCard for purchases from permanent vendors at Downsview.

While they are still confirming details, the CCSAI expects they will be sharing space with other services. They will meet with other stakeholders in the winter to finalize details. Check back here regularly as we will continue to update these Frequently Asked Questions as more information is known.

Centennial College plans to post two security staff on site around the clock, seven days a week. If you need to contact security, you can reach them as follows:

• Emergency Extension 2020
• Emergency Helpline 416-439-4357
• General Inquiry / Dispatch number is ext. 5240 or 416-289-5240
• Downsview Campus Security ext. 5090 or 416-289-5090

The College is currently updating the Ashtonbee Campus master campus plan to identify opportunities for repurposing the hangar and learning space currently occupied by our Aviation Technician programs to support growth in high-demand programs. Once we have finalized these plans, we will update the College community.