To most Ontarians, it may not be new information that the province, and especially Northern Ontario, needs innovation and a highly skilled health care workforce to recover after the pandemic. What might be surprising, at least to some, is that the catalyst for these sector improvements is already waiting in the wings and ready to deliver for Northern Ontario.
It’s Canadore College, the only college of applied arts and technology headquartered in North Bay. With over 80 full-time programs and apprenticeships, Canadore is uniquely equipped to develop solutions for the North. Canadore is ready to:
- Take the lead to rebuild Ontario’s long-term care sector with the goal of a CLRI designation;
- Build a resilient healthcare system for the North with award winning learning tools;
- Prioritize community and government partnerships in rebuilding Northern healthcare systems.
Canadore Taking the Lead
Canadore College is a critical hub of training, skills, and workforce development in Northern Ontario, ensuring students from its nursing, personal support worker (PSW), early childhood education, and trades programs are job-ready when they graduate.
The Village, Canadore’s health and wellness training facility, is the only model of its kind in Canada, providing students with hands-on learning in many health disciplines. The facility blends Indigenous, Eastern and Western practices with custom-built classrooms, and houses a traditional Indigenous ceremony space. The Village integrates student-led clinics that offer senior and community care programs to residents in North Bay and neighbouring communities.
Image provided by Canadore College
As it stands today, across Ontario there are three Centres for Learning, Research, and Innovation in Long-Term Care (CLRIs) that receive provincial funding to improve their education, training, and innovation capacity to enhance the quality of long-term care. However, none of the three are in Northern Ontario.
The Village is a perfect candidate for a Northern Ontario CLRI, filling a hole in the map and allowing Canadore to reach its full potential. This designation would continue to advance Canadore as a leader in health care innovation and support Northern Ontario’s social and economic development. As an added bonus, becoming a CLRI would bring approximately 20 research jobs, five support jobs, and an additional 100 student enrolments to Canadore’s health programs.
Building Resiliency for Northern Ontario Healthcare
The Village is only one way Canadore is redefining post-secondary education and preparing the next generation of health care professionals. The Village Phase 2 will see construction of a new 160-bed long-term care home thanks to Ontario government funding announced in March 2022. Residents and community members will have access to a range of client-centered health care options and facilities including a fully functioning pharmacy and an on-site health provider.
Canadore College is an award-winning post-secondary leader for its use of simulation in nursing and for Indigenous education; these are the foundation of The Village. The College’s Nursing programs now include the new four-year Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) degree and the three-year Bridging Practical Nursing to BScN Program.
The College’s labs are equipped with medical, respiratory and rehabilitation equipment, and human patient simulators that replicate real symptoms.
Canadore is also leading the charge to provide much-needed addiction treatment services to the region by establishing the Northern Ontario Addictions Treatment Centre of Excellence. An extension of The Village, the centre will be a teaching facility to enhance learning experiences for students, and reduce wait lists for addiction treatment.
This project is only made possible by funding from the Ontario government and demonstrates how Canadore is innovatively helping to move Ontario along its Roadmap to Wellness.
Canadore Can Deliver More with Strong Community Partnerships
With strong government support and community partnerships, Canadore can bring broad benefits to the community. The College supports Ontario’s priorities of livable and safe communities, high-quality hospitals, and long-term care homes.
Canadore College has strong private and public sector partnerships within the community that allow the College to contribute to the economic and social revitalization in Northern Ontario.
Canadore College is already delivering on provincial goals for long-term care investment through The Village, and The Village Phase 2, and will continue to prioritize its Indigenous education, support, and outreach programs, honouring its commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. Led by its First Peoples’ Centre, these programs are based in Indigenous educational practices and draw on the rich languages, histories, and cultures of Indigenous communities and learners.
Canadore College is well equipped to address Northern Ontario’s most pressing challenges, and looks forward to nurturing its community partnerships and working with provincial leadership on advancing shared goals for the sector and the region.
Canadore is ready to deliver.
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