George Brown College President Dr. Gervan Fearon joined an inspiring group of city builders, business leaders, hospitality and tourism experts, and sustainability innovators to share a vision for Toronto's waterfront as a vibrant place to learn, live, work and play.
At the Waterfront Symposium on September 29, hosted by the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Dr. Fearon outlined how George Brown's expansion supports other exciting developments underway along the waterfront.
(L-R) Dr. Gervan Fearon, President, George Brown College; Chris Morgan, CEO & Founder, Hoverlink Ontario Incorporated; Tsering Yangki, Executive Vice President, Dream Unlimited Corp.; Shauna Brail, Professor and Director of the Institute for Management & Innovation (IMI) at the University of Toronto; and OCAD University President and Vice-Chancellor Ana Serrano.
As part of the Toronto's Working Waterfront panel, Dr. Fearon outlined how George Brown contributes to the area's potential as a major business and employment hub, bringing approximately 4,000 students and 800 employees together at Waterfront Campus.
CreateTO CEO Vic Gupta and Dream Unlimited Corp. Executive Vice-President Tsering Yangki joined Dr. Fearon on the panel. Shauna Brail, Professor and Director of the Institute for Management & Innovation (IMI) at the University of Toronto, moderated the discussion.
George Brown established its presence on the waterfront with the 2012 opening of the Daphne Cockwell Centre for Health Sciences. We expanded to the Daniels Waterfront - City of the Arts building. In 2023, we acquired the Corus Quay building, a pivotal long-term investment in future academic space. Then, in 2025, we welcomed students to Limberlost Place, our visionary mass-timber building.
George Brown brings big energy to the area with connections to industry and the local community. A new child care centre in Limberlost Place, Mary's Place, serves the neighbourhood. We promote and adopt leading sustainable technologies and practices, partner with local organizations to benefit our students and local communities and continue to advocate for improvements to the waterfront by supporting public art and cultural events.
Dr. Fearon underscored the importance of continued advocacy for a light-rail transit (LRT) expansion and improving walkability and accessibility, noting the area will continue to face transportation pressures as business, cultural, and residential activities increase.
As part of the Waterfront Symposium, Nerys Rau, Executive Director of Facilities and Sustainability at George Brown, hosted a tour of Limberlost Place.
