If you have thoughts about the Poplar Regional Health and Wellness Village proposal, your chance is coming to have your say in person.
Live Work Learn Play Inc. and Di Poce Management Ltd. will be hosting two workshop and public consultation sessions on May 31 at the Collingwood Legion on Ontario Street. The first session will run from 3 to 5 p.m., and the second will run from 6 to 8 p.m.
The developers are hoping members of the public, councillors, business owners, and any other interested parties will attend to share their views and get involved.
“We are very much looking forward to working with all of you for many years,” said Max Reim, chief executive officer of Live Work Learn Play Inc., during a deputation to the development and operations services standing committee on Monday to announce the workshops.
“We wanted to extend the invitation to all of the community both inside and outside of Collingwood, including neighbouring municipalities such as Stayner, Clearview, Town of the Blue Mountains, Wasaga Beach, Meaford and Thornbury,” said Reim. “We want to hear from all of you, and we want to make sure we answer all of your questions.”
The Poplar Regional Health and Wellness Village project proposal for 130-acres at the east corner of Poplar Sideroad and Raglan Street was first brought forward to Collingwood council in March.
According to the initial vision for the project presented to councillors, there will be seven key areas incorporated into the design of the village.
- Regional Health Hub and Wellness Campus will include: medical offices, research clinics, workforce housing, a women and children’s wellness centre, a medical imaging centre, pharmacy/dispensary, and a medical supply store.
- Market District will include: indoor/outdoor health-food market, public outdoor seating, bike rentals, distillery, farm-to-table restaurant, retail offerings and mixed-use workforce housing and outdoor performance space.
- Excellence in Aging-In-Place District will include: retirement/assisted living/long-term care housing, institute for research on aging, neuro-care village, greenhouses/community gardens.
- Eco-Wellness District will include: eco-wellness centre and spa, school of massage therapy, yoga, meditation and rejuvenation centre, naturalized playgrounds and amenities, eco-glamping, a leadership training academy and multi-generational purpose-built housing.
- Bio-Tech and Innovation District will include: biosciences and technology labs, medical research, training and skills development facilities and labs and medical equipment manufacturing.
- Education District will include: existing Georgian College John Di Poce South Georgian Bay campus, and new STEM learning centre, accelerator spaces and student housing.
- Centre of Excellence in Sports Medicine will include: regional sports centre/sports medicine research and offices, sports therapy and rehabilitation programs, outdoor fitness equipment and training areas, specialty clinics, a regional transportation hub, a community recreation centre and athlete housing.
The developer is planning to see shovels in the ground in 2024/25, but does not have approvals or permits for the project yet.
If you are unable to attend either session but would still like to provide feedback, Live Work Learn Play Inc. has launched a web portal to gather feedback, which is available here.
