Finding the Way Forward: University Holds Public Information/Discussion Sessions on Future of Lakehead Pool

(January 30, 2008 --Thunder Bay, ON) Lakehead University will hold Information and Discussion Sessions over the next few weeks to consider the future of the Lakehead University swimming pool.

"The University swimming pool requires significant investment of funds to address deferred maintenance issues, and because provincial funding cannot be used for recreational infrastructure, there are currently no funds available for this purpose," says Tom Warden, Director of Athletics. "These Information and Discussion Sessions are designed to inform the University community about the financial issues surrounding the continued operation of the swimming pool, and to dialogue on three possible options moving forward. Ultimately, our goal is to find the best possible solution for all concerned."

In 2006-2007, Lakehead University's Board of Governors authorized administration to examine issues regarding deferred maintenance and operational costs associated with the C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse, and consider possible options to address those issues.

The first Information/Discussion Session will take place in the Agora on February 5, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. At this meeting, participants will be given an overview of the issues as well as details surrounding the three possible options:

Option A: Preserve the Pool and make essential repairs with funds raised through an increase in student athletics fees.

Option B: Close the Pool and reconfigure the building to provide graduate student, office, and laboratory space, as well as possible student services.

Option C: Close the Pool when health and safety issues dictate.

A second Information/Discussion Session will take place in the Agora on February 13, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. This second session will provide a brief update on the results of the first Information/Discussion Session, as well as other public forums that may be held.

All interested parties are welcome to take part in this public consultation.

Those who wish to learn more are encouraged to visit the Lakehead University Pool microsite at www.lakeheadu.ca/pool. This website will contain facts about the swimming pool, a schedule of public meetings, points of interest, and details about Options A, B, and C.

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Media: Tom Warden is available for interview. Please contact Heather Scott at 807-343-8177 to arrange an interview time. For more information, please contact Heather Scott, Communications Officer, 807-343-8177, commun@lakeheadu.ca; or Eleanor Abaya, Director of Communications, 807-343-8372, eabaya@lakeheadu.ca.

About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 7,700 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the NorthernOntarioSchool of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead UniversityCanada's ResearchUniversity of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on LakeheadUniversity, visit www.lakeheadu.ca

City of Orillia Confirms Contribution to Lakehead's Permanent Orillia Campus

(January 23, 2008 --Thunder Bay, ON) Lakehead University is pleased to announce that Orillia City Council has ratified its $10 million commitment to Lakehead's permanent Orillia campus. The decision was made at the January 21 Council meeting.
The City of Orillia has committed to 10 annual capital contributions - each valued at $500,000 - beginning in 2010, plus 85 acres of serviced land - valued at $5 million.

Lakehead University President Dr. Fred Gilbert is relieved and pleased that the deal has been confirmed. "Had these arrangements not been finalized last night, progress, timing, and the many details in between would have been delayed even further. Now, we can continue to move forward with the planning, and achieving our goal of breaking ground at the Horne Farm this spring."

Gilbert said the project progress was delayed by approximately eight months while waiting for the Ontario Realty Corporation to indicate whether or not the Huronia Regional Centre, the University's first choice, would become available as a prospective site for the permanent campus.

Lakehead hopes to open the first phase of the campus by the fall of 2009. Dr. Kim Fedderson, Dean of Lakehead's Orillia Campus, is delighted with the City's generous commitment. "The first phase of our three-phase project will establish a campus capable of meeting the academic needs of up to 1,500 students, and will also provide those students with the full array of services and amenities typically associated with university life. The 85 acres the City is providing will allow the University to assist in meeting the needs of a growing student population in southern Ontario. Interestingly, the Horne Farm is almost the same size as Lakehead University's Thunder Bay campus, which currently accommodates over 7,700 students. Meeting the growing demand for access to university here may well mean that Phase Three will become a reality sooner rather than later."

Orillia Council has agreed to hold a public information session, at which details of the arrangement with the University will be presented and Lakehead will provide information on its academic, business, and site planning for the new campus. This will be coordinated by the City's Economic Development Committee, though a date has yet to be set.

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Media: Fred Gilbert and Kim Fedderson are available for interview. Please contact Heather Scott at 807-343-8177 to arrange an interview time. For more information, please contact Heather Scott, Communications Officer, 807-343-8177, commun@lakeheadu.ca; or Eleanor Abaya, Director of Communications, 807-343-8372, eabaya@lakeheadu.ca.

About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 7,700 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the NorthernOntarioSchool of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead UniversityCanada's ResearchUniversity of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on LakeheadUniversity, visit www.lakeheadu.ca

City of Orillia Supports $10M Investment in Lakehead's Orillia Campus

(January 17, 2008 --Thunder Bay, ON). Lakehead University is pleased to announce that Orillia City Council has tentatively approved a $10-million commitment to Lakehead University's permanent Orillia Campus.
Pending final approval at the Council meeting next Monday, 10 annual capital contributions - valued at $500,000 - will begin in 2010. Eighty-five acres of serviced land - valued at $5 million - will make up the remainder of the City's contribution.

"There was a great feeling in the room when the endorsement was announced," said Kim Fedderson, Dean of the Orillia Campus. Fedderson is grateful for the vision displayed by the Mayor, City staff, and Council members, and notes that this decision - if finalized - will give Lakehead and the city of Orillia real cause for celebration.

Prior to the vote, Mayor Ron Stevens urged all around the table to support the proposal, which calls for a University tax levy of two per cent over two years, noting the $10-million figure being put forth is a small investment in relation to the quality education and increase to the city's economic viability that would result.

A one per cent levy will be applied in 2008, and another one per cent the following year. While one of the Orillia City Councillors felt the levy was unfair to older taxpayers who may not utilize the campus, Lakehead University President Fred Gilbert notes "A university accommodates much more than only young students. It meets needs of an entire community with credit and non-credit courses and cultural and intellectual engagement." Fedderson added that when he gave a recent presentation as part of the University's Meet the Professor Lecture Series, he noticed "a significant proportion of the house was probably over 60 years of age."

Lakehead's Thunder Bay campus resides on approximately 90 acres of land and educates about 7,000 full-time students. "If the Orillia Campus grows the way we expect it to over the next 10 - 15 years, we're going to be able to put all of this land to use," says Fedderson.
Dr. Gilbert will travel to Orillia to attend next week's Council meeting.

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Media: Fred Gilbert and Kim Fedderson are available for interview. Please contact Heather Scott at 807-343-8177 to arrange an interview time. For more information, please contact Heather Scott, Communications Officer, 807-343-8177, commun@lakeheadu.ca; or Eleanor Abaya, Director of Communications, 807-343-8372, eabaya@lakeheadu.ca.

About Lakehead

Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 7,700 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the NorthernOntarioSchool of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead UniversityCanada's ResearchUniversity of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on LakeheadUniversity, visit www.lakeheadu.ca

Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and Lakehead University Receive Substantial HealthForceOntario (HFO) Grants

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and Lakehead University are pleased to announce the receipt of two grants from HealthForceOntario (HFO) in excess of $650,000.

The grants were awarded through HFO's Interprofessional Care/Education or health-care projects that foster and build interprofessional teams.

The first grant of $464,663 will be dedicated to the establishment of a Northern Interprofessional Centre for Health Education (NICHE). The goal of NICHE will be to support northern, rural, remote, and Aboriginal health needs. It will act as a unifying entity to build on the current Continuing Health Professional Education (CHPE) initiatives of NOSM and
Interprofessional Education offerings of Lakehead University, as well as other partners such as Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC), Laurentian University, Sudbury Regional Hospital, community colleges across the North, and both the North East and North West Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs).

Dr. Ian Newhouse, Dean of the Faculty of Professional Schools at Lakehead University, says "NICHE will offer health-care professionals in the North access to an outstanding educational experience which will fit their practice, lifestyle, and the needs of the community. The resources available through NICHE will better equip practitioners with the knowledge, understanding, and functions of team-based, collaborative, patient-centred care." A cornerstone of NICHE will be the development of a Pan-Northern Advisory Committee, ensuring appropriate representation from all community partners and
stakeholders.

The second grant, in the amount of $189,000 was awarded to NOSM's Rehabilitation Studies Program for Facilitating Leadership in Interprofessional Care (FLIC). FLIC will enable NOSM to establish a process for providing mentorship and leadership to health-care teams wanting to advance the concept of Interprofessional Care (IPC) in their practice settings.

Dr. Wayne Bruce, Associate Dean, Continuing Health Professional Education, believes FLIC will provide a unique opportunity for health-care providers in Northern Ontario. "FLIC will allow health professionals to bring interprofessional education into the workplace,
and will support the ongoing training and facilitation of health-care teams that are dedicated to developing their capacity to providing the best care possible to the people and communities of Northern Ontario."

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For further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Heather Scott
Communications Officer
Lakehead University
Phone: (807) 343-8177
commun@lakeheadu.ca
Lisa Kokanie
Communications Officer, West
(807) 766-7314
lisa.kokanie@normed.ca
Kimberley Larkin
Communications Officer, East
(705) 662-7243

About Lakehead

Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 7,700 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the NorthernOntarioSchool of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead UniversityCanada's ResearchUniversity of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on LakeheadUniversity, visit www.lakeheadu.ca
About NOSM
The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a pioneering faculty of medicine. The School is a joint initiative of Lakehead and Laurentian Universities with main campuses in Thunder Bay and Sudbury, and multiple teaching and research sites across Northern Ontario. By educating skilled physicians and undertaking health research suited to community needs, the School will become a cornerstone of community health care in Northern Ontario.

Conference Organizers Gear up for Registration: Hundreds of participants expected to share global perspectives on regional development and lifelong learning

(January 15, 2008 --Thunder Bay, ON) Dr. Seth Agbo, Lakehead University Education Professor, Chair of the Department of Lifelong Learning, and head of the organizing committee for the upcoming conference entitled "Leveraging Learning for Regional Development: An International Forum," is anticipating an impressive registration response based on the interest the June 24 - 27, 2008 event has already generated.

The international conference is being hosted by the Faculty of Education's Department of Lifelong Learning, working in collaboration with Confederation College. Visitors will be coming to Thunder Bay from all over the world. They will share their thoughts and knowledge about innovative learning and training practices that promote local and regional socio-economic development.

Lakehead is the only University within 700 km of Northwestern Ontario, and as such, Agbo believes it has an obligation toward the socio-economic improvement of the region. During initial planning stages, Agbo perceived the conference as a challenge and described it as ambitious - though he was certainly ready to face it. Now, six months into the planning, he describes the response as incredible, noting that today is only the first day for early birds to register. "We've already been tracking interest via email, website hits, and user feedback forums, and it is coming from all corners of the world - including various levels of government."

"This conference is about exchanging ideas and knowledge - about how to transform Northwestern Ontario into a learning region with learning cities," Agbo explains. The event will attract over 300 business, economic, technological, and educational representatives from across the globe to discuss what is referred to as a learning city - a city (and/or region) which promotes learning on a wide scale. Learning cities develop effective local partnerships between all sectors of the community, while supporting and motivating individuals and employers to participate in learning activity and process. "The main purposes of learning cities are to support widening participation in lifelong learning and to leverage learning to promote social and economic development. Many agree this conference couldn't come at a better time," says Agbo.

"Invited keynote speakers and presenters will provide new dimensions to our understanding of the evolving agendas for changing futures and transitions in lifelong learning," he adds. Different perspectives and models, and their related educational and policy implications, will be highlighted, along with the unique connections between lifelong learning, social capital, and regional development. Participants will explore concepts and trends in lifelong learning related to their specific areas of interest, and will have opportunities to learn more about international perspectives in those fields.

The international conference is open to anyone interested in lifelong learning and community development - from human resource and staff professionals to public policy makers or managers of both public and private organizations. It may be of particular interest and value to regional and local organizations with responsibilities and interests in leveraging learning for economic and social development, though all are certainly welcome. Agbo expects all guests to benefit from the learning atmosphere on a number of levels. Participants will share successes with academics, practitioners, and policy makers worldwide; experience how to create constructive learning partnerships at local, regional, national, and international levels; demonstrate the value of public and private partnerships working with academic institutions; network with people involved in learning cities and regions, and learn how social capital and lifelong learning can be utilized in building strong and sustainable communities; analyse the challenges of changing demographics; disseminate applied research findings to end-users; and demonstrate community partnership networks for social change.

Early Bird registration for the June 24 - 27, 2008 conference is available until March 14, after which time regular registration follows. All registration can only be completed online. Additional registration and conference information can be found on the Department of Lifelong Learning's conference micro site at http://www.theconferenceplanner.ca/lifelearning.

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Media: Dr. Agbo is available for media interview. Please contact him directly at 807-343-8836. Please contact Heather Scott, Communications Officer, at 807-343-8177 for additional information.

About Lakehead

Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 7,700 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the NorthernOntarioSchool of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead UniversityCanada's ResearchUniversity of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on LakeheadUniversity, visit www.lakeheadu.ca

Lakehead Professor named Citizen of Exceptional Achievement

(January 14, 2008 --Thunder Bay, ON) This evening, Dr. Lynn Martin, Assistant Professor in Lakehead University's Master of Public Health (MPH) program, will be recognized by the Corporation of the City of Thunder Bay as a Citizen of Exceptional Achievement (CEA).

The City's CEA awards were established to officially recognize citizens, groups, and organizations in Thunder Bay who have achieved special accomplishments in the areas of Culture, Sports, and Public Service. The CEA's Official Recognizing Committee will recognize Dr. Martin for receiving a 2007 Ministry of Health Career Scientist Award.
When asked how she felt about this honour, Dr. Martin says "It all feels a little surreal. Since moving here last summer, this community has been nothing but welcoming and supportive. I am very grateful to the City of Thunder Bay for this award, which not only means a great deal to me personally, but also professionally. The award brings attention to a program of research that I feel is very important, and which will have a big impact on mental health services in the province. I look forward to working with colleagues and community members, and appreciate any insight they might have on what the research priorities are in this region."

Dr. Martin will work on a program of research related to "Integration, Equality, Delivery, and Outcomes in Mental Health Services." As part of this project, the mental health needs and service utilization of vulnerable populations, including persons in rural areas and Aboriginals will be examined.

Dr. Martin completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Ottawa, her Master's degree in Human Development at Laurentian University, and her PhD in Health Studies and Gerontology at the University of Waterloo. Her work focuses on the health and health services of vulnerable populations - including persons with mental illness, persons with intellectual disabilities, and older adults. She is a member of an International Network of Excellence for Mental Health as well as the Chief Editorial Board for the Journal on Developmental Disabilities. She has recently published two papers related to depression among older adults in chronic care settings, and older adults with intellectual disability.

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Media: Dr. Martin is available for media interview. Please contact her directly at 807-766-7245. Please contact Heather Scott, Communications Officer, at 807-343-8177 for additional information.

About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 7,700 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the NorthernOntarioSchool of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead UniversityCanada's ResearchUniversity of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on LakeheadUniversity, visit www.lakeheadu.ca

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