George Brown College is pleased to receive an $8-million gift from Toronto business leader and philanthropist Jack Cockwell and the Brookfield Partners Foundation. This contribution represents one of the largest donations in Ontario college history.
"Having seen firsthand how George Brown's remarkable facilities, faculty and administration help to prepare the next generation of professional leaders and community builders, I am honoured to be playing a role in the future growth that will support George Brown's continued innovation and leadership," Jack Cockwell, Group Chairman of Brookfield, said.
$8-million gift to fund George Brown's redevelopment & expansion plans
The donation, officially announced on Oct. 13, 2015, will fund George Brown's redevelopment and expansion plans to ensure our current and future students continue to receive career training in state-of-the-art facilities and develop the technical and people skills employers require.
"This generous donation is a vote of confidence in George Brown's contribution to Toronto's economic development and its role in meeting employers' needs," said Anne Sado, President of George Brown College. "Thank you to Jack Cockwell and the Brookfield Partners Foundation for investing in George Brown students for the benefit of our city's future."
Waterfront Campus to be renamed Daphne Cockwell Centre for Health Sciences
In recognition of this gift, George Brown's Waterfront Campus will be renamed the Daphne Cockwell Centre for Health Sciences to honour Cockwell's late mother.
"It is fulfilling to see my mother's legacy carried forward in the name of a building dedicated to creating the next generation of nurses, dental health professionals, health and wellness workers and others who make invaluable contributions to the population's well-being," Cockwell said.
In addition to his role at Brookfield, Cockwell is a Director of the Board at Waterfront Toronto Corporation. He is a Heritage Governor of the Royal Ontario Museum and an Honorary Governor of Ryerson University.
Brookfield Partners Foundation is funded by current and former officers of Brookfield Asset Management, a global alternative asset manager based in Toronto.
The George Brown College Foundation
The Brookfield donation contributes to George Brown's Success at Work campaign with a private sector fundraising goal of $60 million. Success at Work supports the college's $250-million vision for expansion, capital growth and increased scholarships and bursaries.
"Future students will be the true benefactors of this generosity," said Cindy Gouveia, President of the George Brown College Foundation. "Brookfield's gift will help to ensure that more students will have even better learning resources as they pursue their goals."
