Brian G.

Tamblyn
Volume 11 Issue 2 May 29, 2009

Tspecial
he long-awaited and much-needed Georgian Centre for Health and Wellness became a reality today at a
event held in the Library Commons at the Barrie Campus.

In a joint announcement by the Hon. Gary Goodyear, Federal Minister of State (Science and Technology), and
the Hon. John Milloy, Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, along with Barrie MP Patrick
Brown and MPP Aileen Carroll, Georgian received the exciting news that Phase one of the Centre has been
approved, with construction commencing this summer.

The federal and provincial governments have agreed to contribute $40 million toward the $65.5-million project.
With the $10 million already raised by Georgian, the College can now move forward with construction of
the165,000-square foot building with a select part of the interior deferred to Phase two. Phase one will be
materially completed by the end of March 2011 and, initially, will provide urgently needed space for an additional
1,800 full-time students. When fully completed, the Centre will accommodate a total of 3,000 full-time students.

The initial $50-million investment will allow Georgian to satisfy most of its primary objectives in providing
space for more diploma and degree Health Science studies, as well as accommodating public health clinics
greatly needed by our students and the general public. The new and renovated space will also ultimately allow
us to continue to grow enrolment in our nationally unique University Partnership Centre, bringing more degree
programs to this region.

For over four decades, Georgian has focused on the combined needs of students, employers and the communities
in which it operates. It is an approach that has recently resulted in Georgian being one of the fastest growing
post-secondary institutions in Ontario. In making today’s announcement, clearly the federal and provincial
governments believe in Georgian, our vision for the future, and our ability to make a lasting impact on the
region and its health care needs.

With this government funding, so generously supported by donors to the Georgian Power of Education
fundraising campaign, I believe the Centre for Health and Wellness will be one of the best facilities in the Ontario
post-secondary system for health care education. This is the largest expansion in Georgian’s history, and it will
take health care education to new levels to ensure that Barrie, Simcoe County and the District of Muskoka, in
particular, will have the best health care workforce possible.

The Centre will offer considerable benefits to our students and the community at large, notably:

·Teaching health care clinics where students and the public can access health care, and Health and
Wellness students can gain valuable experience working with actual patients

Georgian is the largest post-secondary institution of its size in Ontario without a medical services centre for
students. In fact, 60 per cent of Georgian students do not have access to a family doctor, joining some 30,000
residents in the City of Barrie with the same challenge. Wait times for most health care services are a challenge,
compounded by the growing number of students who use the RVH emergency room for primary health care.

·New classrooms and labs allowing Georgian to expand its degree-level programs, relieving some of the
future enrolment pressures on universities in the GTA continued over...

Office of the President Georgian College One Georgian Drive Barrie, ON L4M 3X9 Tel: (705) 728-1968 ext. 1248 Fax: (705) 722-1559 E-mail: btamblyn@georgianc.on.ca
·New Health Science-related diploma and degree programs, helping to meet a severe and growing labour
shortage of health care practitioners

·Technology-enhanced classrooms that provide an optimal learning environment for students

·These new labs and facilities will support inter-professional education methods so that students from a
variety of health programs can work together on client care – this is the future model of health care

A wave of retirements in the health care sector, coupled with an aging population, is contributing to a growing
skills shortage of trained health care workers. For example, Royal Victoria Hospital will require 1,200 new
employees in the next five years, 50 per cent of which will be nursing positions.

Enrolment in Georgian’s Health Sciences programs has tripled over the past 10 years with substantial waiting
lists in a number of these programs. With this new building, Georgian will be able to double the number of
students it can currently accommodate and create a larger pool of qualified candidates for health care employers.

Today’s milestone announcement is the result of the dedicated and collective efforts of numerous Georgian
staff, volunteers, and donors who have worked tirelessly to make this dream a reality. The strength of the
community commitment to this Centre was certainly a persuasive factor when the time came to propose the
project to the provincial and federal governments. Specifically, I want to extend my sincere appreciation to:

·Arch and Helen Brown

·BMO Bank of Montreal
·City of Barrie
·Corporation of Simcoe County
·Georgian College Alumni Association
·Lions Club of Barrie
·More than 100 Georgian employees/board members
·RBC Royal Bank Foundation
·Students’ Administrative Council
·TD Bank

Also, I want to thank Minister Goodyear and Minister Milloy for not only approving this project, but for honouring
us with their presence at today’s announcement. I would also like to acknowledge the federal and provincial
elected representatives throughout the large catchment area that Georgian serves, who were all supportive of
our proposal.

In particular, I want to acknowledge and thank Barrie MPP Aileen Carroll who has been a strong advocate for
our Centre for Health and Wellness at Queen’s Park. Patrick Brown, Barrie MP, has also been exceptional in his
support and advocacy for the project, both in the riding and in Ottawa.

We believe building the Georgian Centre for Health and Wellness is the economic equivalent to a mid-sized
corporate organization relocating to Barrie. When fully completed, the Health and Wellness Centre will create
nearly 400 full and part-time jobs with an estimated increase to annual payroll of $16 million – solidifying
Georgian’s position as one of the largest and most stable employers in the region. The construction alone will
have an estimated economic impact of $98 million on the regional economy.

I will keep staff posted on plans for a ground-breaking ceremony this summer. As stated previously, the building
will be materially completed for March 2011, with the official opening following in September 2011

Office of the President Georgian College One Georgian Drive Barrie, ON L4M 3X9 Tel: (705) 728-1968 ext. 1248 Fax: (705) 722-1559 E-mail: btamblyn@georgianc.on.ca