THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE George Brown College (GBC) waterfront campus is Limberlost Place, a stunning ten-storey, mass-timber building. The honey-toned interior was designed to maximize fresh air and natural light, while the structure itself was built for environmental resilience, with net-zero emissions, passive ventilation, and rooftop solar panels.
Well before its 2025 completion date, Limberlost had already won twenty prestigious design awards and driven changes to Ontario’s building codes (previously, tall wood structures were limited to six levels). It’s a striking example of what can be achieved by challenging the status quo and working to create something better, instead.
The same values of innovation, adaptability, inclusivity, and resilience embodied by GBC’s newest building also form the foundation of the institution’s approach to academic life and leadership. In times of intense economic and geopolitical uncertainty, it’s often tempting to curb progressive policies—there are many ways to justify returning to the way things were.
But, as GBC demonstrates, effective leadership in times of change demands fierce resilience, a steadfast commitment to inclusion, and an unflinching willingness to adapt. Four college leaders—Leslie Quinlan, Michelle McCollum, Ana Rita Morais, and Kizzy Rodney—share how their commitment to equity, inclusion, and adaptation helps remove barriers to post-secondary education and build a better world.
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