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Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

Why hydrogen?

Retreating glaciers, poorer air quality, hotter summers, stronger hurricanes, drowning polar bears: the ominous signs of climate change are around us. Extreme worldwide dependence on fossil fuels is unsustainable, both environmentally and economically.

  • Growing demand and peak oil production will restrain availability and drive up oil prices
  • Many industries like automotive, manufacturing, aerospace and others are highly vulnerable to rising oil prices
  • Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels lead to global warming and climate change
  • Fossil fuels damage our environment through pollution and smog, which have harmful health consequences, including illness and disease

The worldwide hydrogen market is currently valued at over $300 billion a year; growing at about 15 per cent annually. By 2020 growth will rise to 40 per cent annually and reach several trillions of dollars per year. Hydrogen is needed widely in a number of industrial and commercial applications:

  • Aerospace - Spacecraft fuel
  • Agriculture - Ammonia production for fertilizers
  • Alberta's oil sands - Upgrading bitumen to synthetic crude, and desulfurization
  • Manufacturing - High temperature cutting and fabrication
  • Metallurgical and materials processing - Production of metals and other materials
  • Petrochemical - Petroleum products like styrene, ethylene and others
  • Transportation - Hydrogen for vehicles, such as fuel cells and Hydrail