George Brown employees take pride in meaningful work

As the vice-president of facilities and sustainability at George Brown College, Michelle McCollum says she is honoured to be part of Toronto's growth.

“I am so proud to work at George Brown,” says McCollum. “I’m honestly so happy. And because of the opportunities I’m given, I can pass those down to my team, creating really great, meaningful working spaces, both mentally and physically.”

She’s also proud of how the college has helped shape Toronto’s waterfront while providing leading-edge buildings for its employees and students.

The college transformed the East Bayfront community in 2012 with the opening of the Daphne Cockwell Centre for Health Sciences at Waterfront Campus, housing the nursing, dental and other health sciences programs. In 2018, the School of Design moved into the Daniels Waterfront - City of the Arts complex, a hybrid of design principles, technology and game design. Restaurants, shops, medical care and transit have followed the Waterfront Campus growth.

“When George Brown College goes somewhere, there’s a lot of economic impact,” McCollum says. “While we benefit from the development that happens around us, we also stimulate much of it because of all our students and employees who are suddenly populating the area.”

The college, with 30,198 full-time students, will soon open Limberlost Place, the first mass-timber building of its kind in Ontario. It’s a 10-storey structure built with timber instead of steel and concrete. The exception is the central elevator core which is sealed concrete. The interior is wood except for some drywall due to fire codes.

“This building has really pushed the boundaries,” says McCollum. “It’s caused the government to rewrite the building code in Ontario because, for our type of institutional building, you normally couldn’t go above five storeys.”

McCollum adds that Limberlost Place has a passive ventilation system, meaning the windows can open for employees who will work there. Sensors indicate when the air quality is good. To cool or heat mechanically, the building is connected to the district energy system around Toronto’s city centre.

“Limberlost Place is not even open but it’s putting George Brown on the international stage and it’s putting Toronto on the international stage in terms of breakthrough innovation and sustainable buildings,” McCollum says.

As George Brown sets new standards for sustainability, the college continues to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion and Indigenization activities. Black student support specialist Abisola Asha engages students through the college's Black Student Success Network (BSSN). She, too, is proud of the work she does.

“I support all Black students within the college. Primarily, I create programming, supports and resources to help some students throughout the time they’re here,” says Asha. “I create a lot of mental health initiatives, do a lot of community development and build initiatives with the students, as well as a lot of mentorship.”

Asha says mental health is a major problem, with some students simply overwhelmed, not realizing they need help.

“One of the things we do at BSSN is help them recognize they need support,” Asha says. “A lot of our international students don’t always recognize what mental health looks like. What’s really powerful is our talking circles. It gives students an opportunity to sit together with a mental health counsellor and talk about different topics.”

BSSN circulates a newsletter to nearly 300 students with information on upcoming programs, jobs and networking opportunities. It also has drop-in times where students can share poetry, use adult colouring books or just get to know one another.

Asha says the college is “doing a great job” supporting students and she continues making a difference with meaningful work in her role at George Brown.

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Greater Toronto’s Top Employers winners, published December 3, 2024 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.