Governments of Canada and Ontario announce knowledge infrastructure projects underway: groundbreaking celebration at Georgian college

October 23, 2009

BARRIE, Ontario —  Barrie MP, Patrick Brown, Aileen Carroll MPP for Barrie and Georgian College President Brian Tamblyn, today celebrated the groundbreaking for the Georgian Centre for Health and Wellness.  The project received federal and provincial funding totalling $40 million through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program and Ontario’s 2009 Budget. Other investments include $10 million from the college and other sources.

The new building will facilitate a collaborative, multi-profession, team-based approach to health, wellness, and science education and will include leading-edge laboratories and technology-enhanced classrooms. Teaching health clinics will provide student work experience while offering needed health care for students and local community members. This funding will allow enrolment to grow by 1,800 diploma and degree health sciences students.

In total, the governments of Canada and Ontario are investing $1.5 billion in 49 projects at Ontario’s colleges and universities, through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program (KIP) and the Ontario 2009 Budget. 

“This Government of Canada investment in The Georgian Centre for Health and Wellness will provide a significant short-term economic stimulus to the City of Barrie and will create jobs in this region,” said MP Patrick Brown. “Our government is investing in innovation to create jobs, to help our economy recover quickly and to improve the quality of life for Canadians.  I am particularly proud of the emphasis on training healthcare workers at Georgian.  This will provide an excellent synergy with the RVH expansion and need for more healthcare workers in our region.”

The Knowledge Infrastructure Program, a two-year, $2 billion economic stimulus measure to support infrastructure enhancement at Canadian post-secondary institutions is part of the $12 billion in new infrastructure investment allocated under Canada’s Economic Action Plan. The program is providing real economic stimulus and employment by creating local jobs for engineers, architects, trades people and technicians. It is also helping to generate the advanced technological infrastructure needed to keep Canada’s research and educational facilities at the forefront of scientific advancement.

“The Ontario Government is committed to investing in infrastructure projects that stimulate the economy and support job creation in our local communities,” said MPP Aileen Carroll.  “By investing in projects such as the Georgian Health and Wellness Centre we are supporting vital health care services for Barrie and providing an innovative classroom setting for our students.”

The Government of Ontario, in its 2009 budget – Confronting the Challenge:  Building Ontario’s Economic Future, is committed to investing in infrastructure and has designated $780 million to colleges and universities to modernize facilities and boost long-term research and skills training capacity over the next two years.

“This first phase of Georgian’s new Centre for Health and Wellness will address a number of vital healthcare priorities in our region,” says Georgian President and CEO Brian Tamblyn. “It will help us to meet the continuing demand for enrolment growth in both diploma and degree health sciences programs at Georgian and our University Partnership Centre.  These highly-qualified health care professionals are urgently needed in our growing communities.”

For more information about the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, including program criteria, application instructions and a list of the approved projects to date, please visit www.ic.gc.ca/knowledge-infrastructure.

For information about how the Government of Ontario is helping to build and revitalize infrastructure across the province, please visit www.mei.gov.on.ca/en/infrastructure.