George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
George Brown Polytechnic is partnering with The Rekai Centres to bring health care education into the new Rekai Centre at Cherry Place, creating opportunities for students to learn in an active long-term care environment.
The partnership was announced today as the 348-bed facility reached grade in Toronto’s West Don Lands. The new Rekai Centre will bring long-term care, healthcare services and education together in a growing waterfront community.
Connecting education and care
The partnership will establish an Education Centre within the new Campus of Care.
“George Brown Polytechnic is pleased to partner with The Rekai Centres on a new Education Centre,” said Dr. Gervan Fearon, President, George Brown Polytechnic. “By bringing education and practice together, we can provide our students with meaningful experiential learning while contributing to the development of a skilled healthcare workforce and strengthening care in our communities.”
“This partnership will give our students opportunities to see healthcare from a different perspective,” said Dr. Hassun Malik, Provost and Vice President, Academic, George Brown Polytechnic. “Learning alongside the people who provide care and the residents who receive it will help students better understand the realities of long-term care and the importance of building strong relationships with the people they serve.”
The partnership builds on a longstanding relationship between George Brown and The Rekai Centres, which work together to provide clinical placement opportunities for hundreds of George Brown students each term.
A Campus of Care for the community
The Education Centre will be part of The Rekai Centres’ vision for a transformative, integrated Campus of Care serving residents, clients, families and the surrounding community.
The 348-bed facility will include 96 beds for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, as well as 22 beds in Rekai’s Rainbow Wing, which supports members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community and their allies. The facility will also include an Infection Control Zone and complementary healthcare services.
LifeLabs will provide laboratory and diagnostic support through an onsite Patient Service Centre on the ground floor. The centre will be open to the public and connect healthcare services for Rekai residents with the broader community.
The project is being delivered through a partnership that includes The Rekai Centres, George Brown Polytechnic, LifeLabs, Waterfront Toronto, Building Ontario Fund and Multiplex, with support from government and community partners. Ward 13 Councillor Chris Moise is also participating in the project milestone.
Learning in the heart of Toronto
The new facility is located at 55 Eastern Avenue in the West Don Lands, an area undergoing significant residential and community development.
For George Brown, the Education Centre represents another opportunity to bring learning into the community and create meaningful connections between students and the professionals, organizations and environments where they will build their careers.
The Rekai Centre at Cherry Place is expected to open in 2028.
