A donation of $1 million from Toronto benefactors has kicked off the capital campaign for the Village Living Wellness and Learning Centre in North Bay.
Canadore College announced on Feb. 2 that David Ding and Sapna Thakur of Toronto were gifting the college with the donation.
Their contribution will go toward the development of a healing garden, grounds development and landscaping, “to promote whole self-healing, a common principle entrenched in Indigenous, Eastern and Ayurvedic wellness traditions and practices,” the school noted in a release.
Canadore said its benefactors made the donation because the centre’s integration of Indigenous, Eastern and Western healing practices aligns with their own beliefs.
“The Village is all about bringing together a community dedicated to health and well-being,” said George Burton, president and CEO of Canadore College, in the release.
“Our world has fewer and fewer borders, and we are learning about different philosophies and practices to achieve optimum wellness from ancient practices and scientific research. Any single therapy or discovery, or a combination of principles may be the answer to an individual’s health. That’s what The Village is all about.”
Construction of the $20-million centre is currently underway at the main campus of the North Bay college.
Described as an “intergenerational living, teaching and learning facility,” the centre will include a 144-unit retirement residence that will offer Canadore students opportunities for learning and teaching in the health and human service programs while under the guidance of faculty who are regulated health professionals.
It will include retirement accommodations, short-term stay and rehabilitation beds, along with academic space to train students in areas related to senior care, such as nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, personal support work, mental health and addictions, dental hygiene, recreational therapy, and more.
The federal government is contributing $5.63 million, the province is contributing $800,000, and another $5 million will be contributed through the fundraising campaign.
Canadore said additional funding announcements would be made in the coming months.
