Media releases

• Brock’s messiest tradition to kick off Homecoming celebrations

  Friday, September 11, 2026 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE – Sept. 11, 2026 — R0079

  Jubilee Court will turn purple next week as Brock University’s messiest tradition returns for an afternoon of fun.

  A rite of passage on campus, the annual Homecoming Grape Stomp will see hundreds of students and graduates slip and slide through a metric tonne of locally grown grapes on Friday, Sept. 18.

  Manager of Student Leadership and Engagement Carolyn Hough says the Grape Stomp has been her favourite Brock event since she first attended it nearly a decade ago. Now, she is part of the team who helps to organize it.

  “It’s the best way to kick off the new academic year. Whether you are participating by stomping grapes or coming to witness the organized chaos, it’s a wonderful way to bring together the Brock community and pay homage to the uniqueness of Niagara,” says Hough.

  Adding to the festive spirit in Jubilee Court will be live music from local band Avenue Inn — featuring Brock alumni — and a free barbecue, sponsored by Aramark (while supplies last).

  Participants are asked to wear white and arrive for check-in at 11:30 a.m. The stomp gets underway at noon, with the fun wrapping up at 1 p.m.

  There is no fee to participate but advanced registration is recommended. Students can sign up on ExperienceBU and graduates can RSVP through an online form.

  Recognized as one of the top university campus traditions in Canada, Grape Stomp pays homage to Niagara’s wine country connections. It started in 2001 and has grown to become a fixture of Brock’s Homecoming weekend.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Melinda Cheevers, Communications Specialist, Brock University, [email protected] or 289-241-5855

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  Categories: Media releases

• Grads invited to celebrate history and evolution of Brock Nursing

  Thursday, September 10, 2026 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE – Sept. 10, 2026 — R0078

  Over the past 26 years, Brock University has equipped generations of nurses with the skills and knowledge needed to provide professional, compassionate care.

  Now, Brock Nursing is inviting its more than 2,200 graduates back to campus to reflect on the evolution of the School of Nursing — which recently transitioned from the Department of Nursing — and its ongoing impact.

  A Nursing Celebration will be held on campus Friday, Sept. 18 from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Residence 8 Dining Hall. Part of Brock’s annual Homecoming, the event will honour the graduates, faculty, staff, students, community partners and supporters who have helped shape the University’s Nursing legacy.

  Among the proud grads in attendance will be Mahoganie Hines (BScN ’16), a Nursing Educator with Hospice Palliative Care Ontario who will speak about how her Brock Nursing education has supported her career.

  “Brock gave me much more than the foundation to become a nurse,” she says. “It helped me develop the confidence to think critically, ask questions and recognize that nursing has a role in shaping health care — not simply working within the systems that already exist.”

  In addition to celebrating the growth of Nursing at Brock, Hines is looking forward to hearing from peers about where their careers have taken them and the impact they’ve had in their communities and across the profession.

  “This is an opportunity to celebrate where it all began,” she says. “Our nursing education was the starting point for careers that have touched countless patients, families, communities and health-care systems.”

  Growing that impact — felt beyond campus in the Niagara region and communities across Canada — has been a driving factor for Brock Nursing since its inception, says Karyn Taplay, Director and Associate Professor of the School of Nursing.

  “Through our cutting-edge programming and innovative approaches to teaching, our students are positioned to have an immediate impact in the workforce — and that’s exactly what they’ve done,” she says. “Our alumni have gone on to help shape all aspects of the health-care sector. We can’t wait to welcome them back to celebrate their successes and our School’s continued evolution.”

  The School of Nursing designation marks a new chapter for Brock’s Nursing legacy.

  “We’re thriving, we’re growing and we’re working hard to meet the health-care needs of the population locally and beyond,” Taplay says.

  The designation builds on continued growth for Brock Nursing, which in recent years has tripled the size of its undergraduate program and launched the country’s only concurrent Bachelor of Nursing/Master of Nursing program.

  To join the Nursing Celebration, please register on the event website.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Maryanne St. Denis, Associate Director, Strategic Communications, Brock University, [email protected] or 905-246-0256

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  Categories: Media releases