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COVID-19 Community Archive Contest Winners

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Thank you all for participating in our COVID-19 Community Archive submission contest!

The COVID-19 Community Archive seeks to preserve and make accessible content that was captured and created by students, faculty, staff and alumni about their lived experiences during the pandemic. Our goal in developing this digital portal is to serve as a repository for those of us who may be documenting this historic moment.

We received incredible submissions throughout the summer contest. Here are the three randomly selected winning submissions:

  • Illustration of a person wearing sunglasses, a hat, a hoodie and a face mask on a beach
    Self Portrait #8 During Covid Lockdown by Jerry Waese
  • Two loaves of bread on a navy tablecloth
    Covid Baking Chronicles by Regina Ledesma
  • Black and white self portrait of a man reading a book surrounded by toilet paper rolls
    Passing and Searching For Lost Time During The Pandemic by Gregory Hertel
The 3 winning submissions by Jerry Waese, Regina Ledesma and Gregory Hertel

Although the contest is closed, you can still submit your work to the University’s COVID-19 Digital Community Archive Project by using our online submission form. We accept all types of works: photographs, audiovisual recordings, artworks and written content reflecting your experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us in this collaborative project to document these unprecedent times!

Name the Dog Contest – And the winner is…

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After 3 weeks of submissions and much debate by our panel of judges:

The second runner up in our contest is Debra-Jo Sujka of the Library.  She submitted the names Victoria and Gould for the location of the library where the dogs are now housed.

The first runner up is Deanne Wright in the Registrar’s Office. She submitted the names Mente and Artie – for Ryerson’s Motto “Mente et Artificio” (With Mind and Skill).

And the winner of the Toronto Metropolitan University Archives Name the Dog contest is……………………

Daisy and Risis submitted by Marion Sharp of Human Resources.

Marion selected the name Daisy after Ryerson’s first general purpose computer – An IBM 360-model 30 christened DAISY ( “Direct Access Information System”). Its functions were varied and included student registration, payroll, grade reporting, library circulation control, academic support and student directories.

Marion also chose the name RISIS, after the Ryerson Integrated Student Records System. This system was designed by Ryerson for maintaining student record information.  RISIS II was implemented in 1984. In 2005 the RISIS system was replaced by Peoplesoft.

Thank you to all the people who submitted names for our contest.

A Contest that is for the Dogs!

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Help us name the Oakham House dogs

The Ryerson Archives are the proud owners of a beautiful set of matching Labrador Retrievers. They have settled in and gotten used to their new home and now it is time to give them names!

The contest is open to all University faculty, staff and students, and there is only one rule: The names MUST have significant meaning to Toronto Metropolitan University. This can include either historical (The Archives is a good place to look for this!) or contemporary significance. So enter and win prizes for first, second, and third place AND have your picture taken with the Archives’ mascots!

A bit of history on the dogs

The dogs were designed by architect William Thomas to hitch horses to and were located in front of his Oakham House residence. Thomas lived in the house until his death in 1860. The house was sold to another family and then in 1899 the house, along with the dogs, was sold to the Society for Working Boys- a home for disadvantaged youth in Toronto.  When Toronto Metropolitan University acquired  the building in 1958, the dogs, originally located at the building’s Church Street entrance, were no longer there.  They had been removed to the new location of the Boys Home.  When Ryerson retrieved the dogs in 1982, the Toronto Historical Board wanted the pair to be mounted in their historical place in the front of the house.  In the interest of protecting them from vandalism they were placed inside the house, and then adopted by the Archives in 2010.

Please send your name suggestions, along with an explanation as to why you chose those names, to archives@ryerson.ca.  Please include your full name and a number or email address where you can be reached should your submission be chosen.  Contest closes April 8th, 2011.