The Village at Canadore College virtually supporting people in Northeastern Ontario through COVID-19

Nov 11, 2020 | Cindy Males, Public Relations and Communications Specialist

Workers and their families continue to rise to the challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They are putting the needs of others ahead of their own, staying separated from their family, managing to work from home, and balancing home schooling and childcare.

The Village at Canadore College is stepping up to provide support for individuals as well as Canadore College students and faculty. It will launch a three-session webinar series beginning on Monday, November 16, 2020.

“This virtual education and resiliency building program is timely,” says Canadore College President and CEO George Burton. “The College recently launched a three-year Student Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy. We are looking to protect and improve everyone’s mental health and well-being by offering these sessions.”

“The webinar series is open to individuals of all ages from students and faculty to older adults. Intergenerational programs are one of the goals of The Village, a world-class health and wellness facility that is student-led, and fosters a spirit of collaboration between community-based services, cultures, and people of all ages,” said Burton.

“In comparison to the rest of Ontario, the Northeast continues to struggle disproportionately with social determinants of health, yet we have the lowest COVID-19 infection rate,” said Lisa McCool-Philbin, Canadore’s Dean, Faculty Human and Social Science. “The webinar series offered by Canadore will support and reassure northerners with strategies and resources to continue bolstering our resilience as we navigate through these challenging times.”

The sessions will provide knowledge, skills, resources and support; promote resiliency and psychological well-being; build a regional community of care; and begin to connect health-care professionals to one another.

Each of the three sessions will address a different segment of the population.

Essential Workers-Monday, November 16, 2020 9:00 to 11:00 am.
Families and Caregivers-Wednesday, December 2, 2020 1:00 to 2:30 pm
Older Adults-Wednesday January 20, 2021 1:00 to 2:30pm

“This webinar series is just another way The Village is supporting our community,” said Micheline McWhirter, Project Manager for The Village Collective Impact Project. “The Village has launched initiatives aimed at reducing the risk of isolation for seniors during the COVID-19 outbreak. These initiatives support seniors, provide meaningful placement opportunities for students, and support frontline and essential workers and caregivers.”

Over the next five years, The Village will work with the community to develop new models of healthy ageing and inclusion efforts aimed at improving outcomes of all seniors.”

#Corporate Communications #Health, Human, Wellness #The Village #sustainability