Category Archives: Uncategorized

NEW Spaces – New College Building Updates

The Wilson Hall Lounge is one of the central gathering spaces for the New College community and the heart of college student life. This frequently used space has been redefined to be a more comfortable lounge that will include fun and functional furniture that allows students/guests to relax, study, eat lunch, and gather in groups. There will be chairs, bar stools, and tables for individuals who want to catch up on work, as well as an increased number of power outlets. This space features an opened-up ceiling to enhance the feeling of a large open space and the old lighting has been replaced with LED lighting. The popular Coffee Shed has also returned, after undergoing some modest renovations.

New Second Cup at 45 Willcocks!

New College is excited to announce that the new Second Cup in 45 Willcocks is now open!

Open from Monday to Friday, 9am – 4pm, the Second Cup is located in the atrium outside the William Doo Auditorium. Stop by, grab a coffee and a treat or a sandwich, and check out the newly finished atrium with lots of seating, plus the downstairs students spaces including music rooms, a multipurpose room, and of course, the the Gnu Lounge!

Bike Share Toronto and New Bike Racks

Spadina and Willcocks Bike Share Station

Getting around Toronto in an environmentally friendly fashion is important for a lot of downtown residents including our summer guests! The City of Toronto has implemented a series of Bike Share stations around the city that make getting around a breeze. Conveniently for our guests, there is a Bike Share station right at Spadina and Willcocks to get around downtown hassle free.

Bike Share Station

Bike Share Prices


 

 

 

 

 

 

Also added to 40 Willcocks Street were new bike racks to help accommodate all our cyclists that stay at New College during the summer.

New Bike Stations

Plaza Project Renovation

“Plaza Project” Willcocks Street Renovation

The long anticipated Plaza Project was completed this year and it looks great! The renovation included the removal of the previous sidewalk, the installation of a new stone sidewalk with a canopy structure and seating. There is also new lighting added which gives the space a nice glow at night. This hot spot creates a great photo backdrop for our residents and those just passing by! 

All New Smart TVs in Communal Rooms

All Residence Communal Rooms

This year we removed all of our older television sets and replaced them with brand new smart TVs! These new Smart TVs include applications such as Netflix, Youtube and Prime Video.

These Smart TVs also connect via USB, so you can connect your laptop or other smart devices.

Wilson Hall Common Room

Completed Renovations for Summer 2018

Each year, New College commits to many renovation projects to ensure our residences and surrounding area stay up to date and address our resident concerns and suggestions. This past year, the following projects were completed:

45 Willcocks Residence

Improvements have been made to all the communal rooms in our 45 Willcocks Residence. Exciting additions includes new cabinets, countertops, an island table and brighter lights.

45 Willcocks Common Kitchen

45 Willcocks Common Room

 

Wetmore Hall Residence

This year we had the opportunity to replace all the dorm room doors on the 2nd floor of Wetmore Hall.. The new doors were also painted along with the hallways and dorm rooms to provide a modern and welcoming environment.

New 2nd Floor Wetmore Doors

 

 

Completed Renovations from Summer 2015

Each year, New College commits to many renovation projects to ensure our residences stay up to date and address our resident concerns and suggestions. This past summer 2015, the following projects were completed:

4th Floor – Wilson Hall Residence

Besides painting the entire floor, improvements have been made to the 4th floor Wilson Hall shared washrooms. Exciting additions include new glass shower stalls, new flooring, and brighter pot lights.

4th floor washroom 2     4th floor washroom 3

4th floor washroom 1

6th Floor – Wilson Hall Residence

The 6th floor common room in Wilson Hall now features plush comfy couches and a 70” flat screen TV. The common kitchen appliances are upgraded to a stainless steel fridge, stainless steel oven and modern flat stove tops. The extra counter space and cabinetry is an added bonus for guests who frequently use the kitchen.

12      6th floor Kitchen2

6th floor Kitchen

We will continue similar upgrades to other floors at New College as needed on a yearly basis. New College is committed to holding our facilities and services to the highest standards. We look forward to continuing to share with you updates of the progress of our ongoing renovation projects!

Wi-Fi for Summer 2015

As part of the our continuous efforts to improve the guest experience, New College is pleased to offer free Wi-Fi Internet Access in most guest rooms, meeting spaces, and common areas.  This complimentary service will be in effect starting May 4, 2015.

New College recognizes the importance of providing complimentary wireless Internet access to our guests and visitors.  Whether relaxing in one of our common rooms or kicking back in the comfort of your room, surfing the web just got easier and cheaper!

Wired network connectivity will remain available in all guest rooms. Guests can connect to the Internet using an Ethernet cable. Forgot to bring an Ethernet cable? No problem, we offer Ethernet cables at the front desk (for a fee).

For more information and to obtain the wireless password, please see the Front Desk on arrival.

Charging Stations in NEW Lounges

This past winter, New College introduced electronic device charging stations in the three main lounges (Wetmore Lounge, Wilson Hall Lounge, and 45 Willcocks Atrium). Guests can now stay connected to their family, friends, and work without facing the daily struggles of finding a power outlet or adapter for free.

The charging stations are compatible with most electronic platforms including laptops, iPhones, Blackberry, Android, iPad, Kindle and digital cameras.

 

New College Residence Earns Four “Green Keys”

A big step towards sustainability!

From the establishment of the first residence building, New College has been committed to growth. The personal growth of our community’s diverse and dynamic members and our growth as an institution have remained priorities; our dedication to improving our environmental performance is the latest testament to this commitment.

A series of renovations have transformed the College’s physical spaces over the last five years allowing for the implementation of sustainable practices such as water and energy conservation, solid waste management, community outreach and indoor air quality management. By incorporating sustainability goals into the planning process for all renovation and construction projects the College has been able to reduce environmental impacts through reduced utility consumption.

Our green projects have targeted the entirety of the college. The cafeteria’s windows have been fitted with a solar film to reduce the amount of heat absorbed from the sun in the summer thus decreasing the need for air conditioning to regulate indoor temperatures. Solar sensors have been installed to detect natural lighting levels from the sun and accordingly adjust indoor lighting to minimize energy consumption. Five filtered water bottle refill stations have replaced pre-existing water fountains. Coupled with a policy against disposable water bottles, the stations have saved over 110,000 to date. Bulbs throughout the college have been replaced with LED bulbs in order to conserve energy.

It is this commitment that has earned New College a ‘4 key’ rating (out of 5) from the Green Key Eco-Rating Program this winter. The program is designed to recognize accomplishments in environmental management and corporate social responsibility, with thousands of organizations participating across North America. New College is committed to improving its sustainability efforts and reducing its footprint and it is our hope that our continuing dedication will allow us to win the elusive ‘fifth key’ quite soon.

For more information about the Green Key Eco-Rating program please visit: http://www.greenkeyglobal.com/