Ontario Construction News staff writer
Premier Doug Ford visited one of Ontario’s largest vaccination centres set up at the CAA Centre in Brampton.
The facility is a partnership with Peel Region, Bruce Power and a coalition of organizations, unions and businesses including construction businesses, to establish and support the Hockey Hub. The facility is operated by Peel Public Health provides thousands of daily vaccines in an area of the province that was particularly hard hit by the pandemic.
In early May, Bruce Power brought together a coalition including LiUNA, Alectra Utilities, SNC-Lavalin, Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario, Power Workers’ Union and the Society of United Professionals.
In addition, others have provided support with both the volunteer program and supporting individual immunization days, including the Canadian Union of Skilled Workers (CUSW), Capital Power, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and TC Energy.
Ford visited the facility and thanked the hundreds of volunteers and partner organizations for providing logistical, financial and staffing. The centre was established using the Hockey Hub model, developed by the Grey Bruce Health Unit with a streamlined flow-through process, which can administer more vaccines with fewer clinical staff than traditional mass vaccination clinics.
“I want to thank our public health units, hospital partners, and frontline health care workers for their leadership throughout this pandemic, as well as organizations like Bruce Power and their many partners, who have committed to supporting Ontarians through this vaccination effort,” Ford said. “These organizations coming together with public health to establish this hub is a demonstration of the true Ontario spirit.”
Partner organizations collaborated to sponsor and support the Region of Peel in establishing the centre, leveraging their experience and logistical expertise to deploy the centre at a time and location where it can be most effective in fighting the pandemic, by more quickly delivering vaccines to where they’re most needed without over-burdening their existing system.
Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power’s President and CEO also thanked the coalition of organizations for partnering on this initiative.“When we put a call out to support, the response from these organizations was tremendous,” Rencheck said. “Bruce Power is proud to stand with these organizations in our collective commitment to supporting public health and all levels of government in this historic vaccination effort.”
The Hockey Hub relies on contributions of the many volunteers who have come forward, and organizations that have coordinated volunteer efforts, including Bird Construction, Brampton Fire and Emergency Services, Khalsa Aid Canada, Levitt-Safety, PTAG, and Plan Group.
There is an ongoing need for these critical volunteers to help ensure these centres can run efficiently and reach as many people as possible. For more information or to volunteer at the new vaccination centre please visit www.peelvaccinehub.ca.
The Peel Region Hockey Hub at the CAA Centre in Brampton is open to the public, and residents 12+ can book their appointment through the provincial booking system.
For an overview of the Hockey Hub model in the Grey-Bruce region, click here.