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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

Words Frequently Misused

Homonyms are words that sound the same or have the same spelling as another word, but have different meanings. They are commonly misused because of the similarities in the way they are pronounced and/or spelled.

  • Incorrect: Durham College has more sports teams then Ontario Tech University.
  • Correct: Durham College has more sports teams than Ontario Tech University.

 

  • Incorrect: How are you’re peers doing in school?
  • Correct: How are your peers doing in school?

 

  • Incorrect: Smoking negatively effects people’s health.
  • Correct: Smoking negatively affects people’s health.

Tip:

  • Use a dictionary. If you have a green or blue underline in your Word document, check the definition to make sure you are using the correct word for what you are saying. Lists of commonly confused words are widely available in style guides and online.

For more examples, see the Words that Sound Similar page and the Words that Sound Similar tipsheet.