Ottawa and the Province of Ontario are spending $4.3 million for the creation of a new bilingual health simulation centre at Laurentian University in Sudbury. The laboratory will enhance training for in-demand health fields, including nursing, speech-language pathology and kinesiology, the school said in a news release Thursday. “By investing in modern, bilingual training infrastructure at Laurentian University, we are helping prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals to serve Francophone and northern communities,” said Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Official Languages. “This investment will create new opportunities for students while helping communities access the services and care they need in the language of their choice.” “This advanced training centre will help us attract and train health care professionals in our region,” said Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe. Nearly $2 million comes from Canadian Heritage, alongside $1 million from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities. In addition to government financial support, the school received a $250,000 estate gift from the late alumna Eva Williton. The university said Williton’s gift provides critical support for student training and health research, helping to ensure future healthcare professionals have access to both world-class infrastructure and vital academic funding. Together, this public and philanthropic support allows us to establish a state-of-the-art bilingual facility that ensures our graduates are career-ready and equipped to meet the healthcare needs of northern and francophone communities,” said Dr. Lynn Wells, president & vice-chancellor of Laurentian University. Laurentian serves more than 8,000 students on its campus in Sudbury and is one of two bilingual universities in Ontario
