Groundbreaking for Thorncliffe Park Community Hub celebrated
East Toronto’s Michael Garron Hospital, in parternship with The Neighbourhood Organization (TNO) and the Flemingdon Health Centre, celebrated the groundbreaking for the Thorncliffe Park Community Hub earlier this week.
Following a Health Care Gap Analysis of Thorncliffe Park in 2014, it was discovered that residents of this region of Toronto were lacking in an adequate amount of local health services.
With many of the 30,000 community members living with untreated medical conditions due to social and economic disadvantages, TNO, Flemingdon Health Centre and Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) partnered in advocating for increased medical assistance for Thorncliffe Park’s population which is made up of mostly immigrant families who are in need of coordinated primary health care.
A decade of legwork later, on Thursday May 23, the Thorncliffe Park Community Hub hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to mark construction of a new 67,000 square foot community-centred space at East York Town Centre.
This new multi-service centre, which began construction in November, will enable Thorncliffe Park residents to gain access to various health and social services that are much needed in the community.
Flemingdon Health Centre CEO Jen Quinlan told Beach Metro Community News that, through this hub, a number of barriers faced by community members can now be addressed.
“The first is language,” said Quinlan. “Our programs and services are available in multiple languages and we also use real time interpretation for our medical appointments which is very important for (Thorncliffe residents).”
This is run through Health Access Thorncliffe Park (HATP), the free primary care clinic which will be available to all residents in the neighbourhood.
“They have access to free physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, dieticians,” said Quinlan.
With about 1,500 residents expected to visit the hub daily, and more than 30 languages spoken in the community, the hub will become one of the most essential elements in the attempt to remove barriers to health care as residents will now likely feel more confident that their needs will be understood.
“Our services are also available to people without OHIP which really helps for people to stay well in that community,” said Quinlan.
Although the majority of the $24 million capital funding that has been committed to the hub is coming from Ontario’s Ministry of Health, Quinlan said that the project has multiple financial partners.
“This was a very community-driven process,” said Quinlan. “It was successful because the community advocated and worked with us and all levels of government.”
Funding partners include United Way Greater Toronto; the federal government which is funding programs that address language barriers; and the City of Toronto which is funding the new public health dental clinic.
“The City of Toronto is pleased to have contributed to making the hub possible, and we will continue to work as partners to make sure the Hub is a success so people In Thorncliffe Park can access the services they need,” said Mayor Olivia Chow in a Thursday, May 23, news release.
Unlike the Toronto Public Health Dental Clinic, many of the other services expected to be delivered at the hub are already available, sprinkled across various parts of the neighbourhood.
However, once the hub’s construction is completed, these programs will be expanded and have a central location that makes it easier for local residents to access essential services.
“Families in Thorncliffe deserve convenient access to community health and social services that help make life easier,” said Chow in the news release. “The Thorncliffe Park Community Hub will support people by bringing together all these critical services under one roof.
The Thorncliffe Park Community Hub is set to officially open in late 2024.
Services provided will include health promotion; nutrition and education; homebound seniors visiting program; primary care; diagnostic imaging and specialists; prenatal, pregnancy and postpartum care; services for non-insured individuals; dental care; social care; community resource access and event space; economic and community development; family (child, youth, senior) services; legal support and education; newcomer and immigration support; and supports for people with disabilities.
Those attending the groundbreaking ceremony on May 23 included Chow, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Ontario Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, and Toronto Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen De Villa.
“Today’s groundbreaking represents a significant milestone for the Thorncliffe Park Community Hub project, which our government was proud to support,” said Ford in a news release. “As East York continues to grow, this new Hub is going to be a critical link, helping to improve the mental and physical well-being of thousands of families, including at-risk families and newcomers to Ontario.”
— Amarachi Amadike is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for Beach Metro Community News. His reporting is funded by the Government of Canada through its Local Journalism Initiative.
Amarachi Amadike, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Beach Metro Community News
