Premier Ford thanks volunteers and organizations for establishing Hockey Hub vaccination Centre in Region of Peel

Brampton, ON, June 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Premier Ford today celebrated the recent opening of one of Ontario’s largest vaccination centres at the CAA Centre in Brampton. The Region of Peel partnered with Bruce Power and a coalition of organizations, unions and businesses to establish and support the Hockey Hub, which is now open to the public. The facility is operated by Peel Public Health and is providing the region the capacity for thousands of daily vaccines in an area of the province that was particularly hard hit by the pandemic.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford visited the facility and thanked the Region of Peel, hundreds of volunteers and the partner organizations, businesses and unions for providing logistical, financial and staffing support that made the opening of the centre possible. The centre was established using the Hockey Hub model, developed by the Grey Bruce Health Unit. This model uses a streamlined flow-through process, which can administer more vaccines with fewer clinical staff than traditional mass vaccination clinics. This model was adapted to meet some of the unique needs of the Peel Region, and Public Health staff supported the establishment of the operation.

“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,” said Premier Ford. “These organizations coming together with public health to establish this hub is a demonstration of the true Ontario spirit.”

The 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.

In early May, Bruce Power brought together a coalition of businesses, unions and organizations who have provided financial, logistical and volunteer support for the set-up and operation of the facility. These Sponsor Partners include:

– Alectra Utilities

– BWXT

– CGI Inc.

– E.S. Fox

– EMC a Day & Zimmerman Company

– EnergySolutions

– Framatome

– Kinectrics

– Greater Toronto Airports Authority

– LifeLabs

– LiUNA

– Maple Leaf Foods

– Nordion

– Nuclear Promise X

– SNC-Lavalin

– Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario

– Ontario Chamber of Commerce Vaccination Support Council

– Power Workers’ Union

– Society of United Professionals

Dr. Lawrence Loh, Region of Peel Medical Officer of Health, thanked the partners for providing logistical, financial and volunteer support that made the opening of the centre possible.

“We are thankful to all of the partners who have come together to make the CAA Centre clinic a reality and to the Province for continued support to vaccinate all of Peel, as we push towards widespread two-dose coverage. Every vaccination administered is an essential action in combatting COVID-19,” said Dr. Loh.

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.”

In addition to the Sponsor Partners, others have provided support with both the volunteer program and supporting individual immunization days. These organizations include the CAA Club Group, Canadian Union of Skilled Workers (CUSW), Capital Power, United Brotherhood of Carpenters, Convenience Industry Council of Canada (CICC), Desjardins Group, Fujitsu, NTT Data Canada, Promation Nuclear, Rycom, SCI Group Inc., TC Energy, and Xerox.

The Hockey Hub relies heavily on the 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.