Campus Safety Week just passed at Durham College and it highlighted the importance of being safe on campus and what the school has to offer.
Durham College has a variety of safety measures aimed at keeping students safe. One example is the Campus Walk Program.
Durham College’s director of Campus Safety Peter Trimble runs the program. He says it’s helpful for students as the days get shorter and it gets dark earlier.
“If you are nervous about walking to your car or walking to the bus stop, you can go see security,” he says, “and if a Campus Walk member is on duty, they’ll walk you to your car or to another building.”
The Campus Walk program operates from September to the end of April.
People can also get help if they’re feeling uncomfortable or afraid in a parking lot or outdoors by pressing the button on red poles around campus. The button alerts security.
“We have our Code Blue units which are red cylindrical units with a blue light,” Trimble says. “You push that button and it automatically sends a call to security and they’re at both the Whitby and the Oshawa campus.”
The Campus Emergency Response Team (CERT) is also available on campus.
It’s staffed with student volunteers. They’re trained as First Responders or Emergency Medical Responders with the Canadian Red Cross and can provide advanced first aid, if needed.
Campus safety is an issue at post-secondary institutions across Ontario.
There are reports of Jewish students not feeling safe in school due to rising rates of antisemitism.
According to a report produced by the Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute (ACSMI) in August 2026, 72 per cent of Jewish students refrain from talking about being Jewish in class and 57 per cent avoid wearing or displaying Jewish symbols due to safety concerns.
Another group who fears for their safety is the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Three years ago, a stabbing in a gender studies class at the University of Waterloo (UW) led students to rally for better training for campus security and more safety audits to protect fellow students.
Students at Durham College who feel targeted because of their gender or ethnicity can get support from the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Gordon Willey Building.