NEWS RELEASE
GEORGIAN COLLEGE
*************************
Fifty years ago, Georgian College started as a modest storefront operation at a plaza on Wellington Street in Barrie. There were 101 students enrolled in five programs.
Today, the college covers a region that spans thousands of square kilometres from the current Georgian Drive location in Barrie together with campuses in Midland, Muskoka (Bracebridge), Orangeville, Orillia, Owen Sound and South Georgian Bay (Collingwood). There are 11,000 full-time students and more than 125 career-focused programs, including apprenticeships, diplomas, certificates, graduate certificates and degrees.
Members of federal, provincial and municipal government, along with college dignitaries and the Georgian community, celebrated the kick-off to 50th anniversary celebrations at the Barrie Campus today. The City of Barrie Town Crier was also on hand to officially proclaim this the start of the college’s golden fete.
President and CEO Dr. MaryLynn West-Moynes says the occasion will help mark 50 years of growth and innovation, and 50 years of helping students achieve their academic and career goals.
“Since its inception in 1967, Georgian has been committed to accessibility and inclusiveness, to collaboration with community and business partners, to meeting the demands of employers and the economy, and to setting the highest standards of academic excellence,” says West-Moynes. “Thanks to the commitment of our faculty and staff, as well as the support of employers, donors and government, we are trailblazers in areas like co-operative education, entrepreneurship and social innovation.”
Georgian has also undergone a great deal of capital expansion over the years, from buildings to new campuses, including the construction of the Advanced Technology, Innovation and Research Centre, which will be ready for use in fall 2018.
Georgian will continue to mark its 50th anniversary with a number of signature events throughout 2017, including a traditional Pow Wow, student-run auto show, the 30th annual Georgian Golf Classic, the college’s official birthday bash in October, and more.
Visit GeorgianCollege.ca/celebrate50 for more information about our history and Georgian’s golden anniversary.
*************************
