Georgian College’s newest campus will be named the John Di Poce South Georgian Bay Campus. The name for the new facility, located at the intersection of Poplar Sideroad and Raglan Street in Collingwood, was officially unveiled at a news conference at Cranberry Resort Feb. 8.
The John Di Poce South Georgian Bay Campus in Collingwood will be open for business in fall 2011.
Georgian President and CEO Brian Tamblyn made the announcement before an audience of municipal and community leaders.
The name honours the key donor to the project – developer John Di Poce. The name will come into effect when the college moves into the new facility this fall.
Ground was broken May 29 on the first permanent home for a Georgian College campus in the region. Since first offering part-time courses in Collingwood 26 years ago, Georgian has moved through 10 different leased locations as demand for post-secondary education in South Georgian Bay region and surrounding areas has grown.
The new 20,000-square-foot campus will strongly support the future economic growth of the area. This investment will specifically address regional labour market gaps by providing employers with a skilled workforce.
“This campus will expand access to full- and part-time academic studies, opening up new opportunities and new horizons to local students,” said Tamblyn.
The new campus is located on 10 acres of land generously donated by developer John Di Poce. It was also made possible by a $4-million contribution from the Community Adjustment Fund of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
Simcoe-Grey MP Helena Guergis commends Tamblyn, community leaders both past and present, volunteers and staff for their commitment to the project.
“I am honoured to have played a role in this shared commitment to the community and to public service working hard alongside our community leaders as the new regional campus of Georgian College is named. I offer a sincere thank you for the generous donation of land by John Di Poce for this project. The John Di Poce Southern Georgian Bay Campus will bring immense benefits to the community and viable opportunities for our children for years to come,” said Guergis.
The new campus will be a custom-made home, allowing the college to offer a wide range of educational opportunities for area residents and businesses.
When the doors open for classes in the fall of 2011, Georgian will be able to provide greater access to full-time and part-time studies and expand corporate training, skills simulation and small business services.
The new campus will contain nine classrooms plus a student lounge. Among the classrooms will be two computer labs, one “e-lab,” one multi-function health sciences lab and one community room/small classroom. The balance will be traditional classrooms, all equipped with full multimedia services. These are also multi-function rooms, fitted with movable walls for maximum flexibility in terms of space.
The new building will accommodate 250 full-time students and more than 3,000 part-time students annually.
