News & Updates
Northern College Alumni attempt to Break World Record
TIMMINS, ON: Northern College is proud to congratulate alumni Norm Dwyer, John Olaveson, Jeremy Wilson and their band Miners and Sons on their upcoming attempt breaking the Guinness World Record for Deepest Underground Concert on November 15.
The Miners and Sons aim to surpass the previous record set by Sudbury band the Shaft Bottom Boys in 2020, by 2,786 feet, performing at the 9,000-foot level of the Glencore Canada Kidd Mine, the deepest base-metal mine in the world.
“It isn’t too often that a college can boast that its alumni will be world record holders, we are so proud of their accomplishment and were happy to support their efforts,” stated Mitch Dumas, President & CEO of Northern College. “We believe in fostering dreams at Northern College, and we’ll certainly be letting our students know that upon graduation, they’ll be in the company of world record holders.”
“As a Northern College alumni myself, I couldn’t be prouder of what they are set to accomplish,” added Dumas.
When Norm Dwyer first approached his alma mater to share what he had planned, Northern College was eager to contribute and support his efforts.
“I’ve always had a great relationship with Northern and its Alumni association,” stated Dwyer. “I knew that if I needed support and assistance in getting this idea off the ground – or underground in this case – handling the logistics and organizing the events, that they would be there to help me do that.”
Northern College is proud of its dedication to maintaining productive relationships with its graduates, supporting their ambitions and pursuits long after they’ve left our classrooms behind.
“Our alumni are so important to us,” stated Nicole Gingras, External Relations Officer at Northern. “We take so much pride in the support we offer our students during their time with us, but we also firmly believe that those supports extend long after graduation.”
Northern College acknowledges the future achievement of the Miners and Sons and the partnerships with the City of Timmins, Glencore Kidd Mine and the Guinness World Records for making this moment possible.
“Our alumni go on to achieve great things, contribute actively to our communities and, in this case, break world records,” stated Gingras. “Any opportunity to help support and take part in those achievements is a special moment for us.”
“The influence and impact of our graduates goes deep, 9,000 feet deep, in this case,” added Gingras.
Northern College is proud of its alumni and congratulate them on this incredible achievement, we know they’ll secure later this week.
-30-
About Northern College of Applied Arts & Technology
Established in 1967, Northern College leads the province in Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). It holds the top ranking in the graduate employment rate category in the province of Ontario. It has the highest employer satisfaction score for Northern College alums compared to all English-speaking colleges in Ontario (2023). The College has four main campuses in Haileybury, Kirkland Lake, Moosonee and Timmins, and many Access Centres, providing post-secondary education and academic upgrading to Indigenous learners in remote communities along the James Bay coast. Northern College is a highly respected community and regional partner with nearly 50,000 graduates, including the Haileybury School of Mines (est. 1912); the College is critical in the region’s economic development and global mining influence. Northern College serves the educational needs of post-secondary, apprenticeship, and contract training, both on-site and through remote learning, as well as delivering academic upgrading and employment services. Its catchment area covers 160,000 square kilometres, roughly the size of France, and includes over 65 communities – 18 First Nations.
Media Contact:
Kyle Gennings (he/him)
Communications & Government Relations Officer
Marketing, Communications, and External Relations
P. 705-235-3211 ext 2276
F. 705-235-6888
C. 705-288-1101