PHOTOS: TMU officially breaks ground on Student Wellbeing Centre
Shovels are officially in the ground on the Student Wellbeing Centre site. From left: Krishan Mehta, Mark Bonham, Ed Clark, Richard Rooney, Jen McMillen, Donette Chin-Loy Chang, Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano, Mohamed Lachemi, Kien Azinwi, Saeed Zolfaghari, Sean Smithson, Siamak Hariri, Chris Moise and Vijay Thanigasalam. (Photo: Alyssa K. Faoro)
TMU community members gathered to celebrate the official groundbreaking of TMU’s Student Wellbeing Centre on May 6. Work on the new eight-storey addition to O’Keefe House is underway and, importantly, will create a central location for well-being services on campus when it opens.
The Student Wellbeing Centre has been made possible thanks to the 2022 referendum where TMU students voted to increase the health and well-being fee.
“The Student Wellbeing Centre is at the heart of our vision for well-being supports and services on campus,” said Mohamed Lachemi, president and vice-chancellor. “It is no coincidence that our students have led the support for this project because at TMU, our students have a track record of being drivers of change.”
View the photos below from the groundbreaking ceremony to mark the commencement of construction on this milestone project. All photos by Alyssa K. Faoro.
President and Vice-Chancellor Mohamed Lachemi (right) speaks with Hon. Vijay Thanigasalam, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Ontario, who was onsite to mark the official groundbreaking for TMU’s Student Wellbeing Centre. (Photo: Alyssa K. Faoro)
“By empowering our students and trusting them, we will achieve big things,” said Lachemi, above, in reference to the commitment TMU students made to the creation of the Student Wellbeing Centre. (Photo: Alyssa K. Faoro)
Event emcee and Lincoln Alexander School of Law student Kien Azinwi acknowledged that it's important to have student-centred spaces outside of the classroom. “Having a dedicated space like this sends a powerful message that student well-being is a priority, not an afterthought,” she said. (Photo: Alyssa K. Faoro)
The Student Wellbeing Centre will provide a centralized location for well-being services on campus offering “seamless and accessible support for students so we can meet them where they are,” said Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano, Provost and Vice-President, Academic. (Photo: Alyssa K. Faoro)
In addition to the student investment in the new Student Wellbeing Centre, donations from community members have been integral in its development. Above, TMU chancellor Donette Chin-Loy Chang (left) hugs Mark Bonham, executive director of The Veritas Foundation, who donated $1 million to the project. Chin-Loy Chang, Richard Rooney and Ed and Fran Clark have also donated $1 million each. (Photo: Alyssa K. Faoro)
There are many important partners involved in the development of the Student Wellbeing Centre. Hariri Pontarini Architects provided design services and Pomerleau has signed on as construction manager. Pictured here from left to right: Sean Smithson (Regional Vice President, Toronto, Pomerleau), Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano (Provost & Vice-President, Academic, TMU), Mohamed Lachemi (President and Vice-Chancellor, TMU), Donette Chin-Loy Chang (Chancellor, TMU) and Siamak Hariri (Principal Architect, Hariri Pontarini Architects). (Photo: Alyssa K. Faoro)
The Student Wellbeing Centre will include an eight-storey addition to O’Keefe House. The addition will be made of mass timber and include multiple green roofs as a symbol of TMU’s commitment to sustainability.