The Vice President of Student Life at Canadore College believes students are the big winners with the opening of The Village, a facility that promotes wellness and learning.
Sarah Duquette says the fact that The Village is now a reality is an indicator that “the people who run Canadore care about our opinions and where we want to go with health care”.
Duquette says one of the many features at The Village will be a health clinic that’s equipped to help students, who for example, feel stressed out over school or are coping with a previous mental illness.
Duquette notes that with 25 percent of the student population at Canadore being Indigenous, Metis or Inuit, The Village has an Indigenous Spiritual Centre.
There’s also a sacred fire and smudging room.
Duquette adds the facility also recognizes other religions and spiritualities.
Another feature is the holistic approach to care.
Duquette says where hospital emergency departments are focused on the biological side of things, The Village will also look at a person’s mental and spiritual health.
Duquette says Canadore is the first school of its kind to have this kind of approach to wellness and learning.
However, she believes other post-secondary schools won’t take long to match what Canadore is doing and create their own version of a learning and wellness centre.