OUR LOCAL
Projects
The Rotary Club of Barrie Huronia engages in a number of
projects every year that raise funds globally and for our community.
We have contributed to the following projects:
generous support has made our Christmas Hamper program
possible this year.**
Victoria Village
Victoria Village is a unique community located in the heart of Barrie that offers 57 Life Lease Suites, 16 Senior Residential Suites, a 128 Long Term Care facility and commercial space that includes a Sports Medicine clinic, a cafe, a pharmacy specializing in geriatric care, law office, accounting office and various other community services.
Victoria Village is located on the former site of Royal Victoria Hospital. When it was determined that RVH had outgrown its space, the City of Barrie recommended to adopt the development of Vic Village on the old RVH site. The committee recognized the need to support the increasing senior population and opted to work to develop the property to accommodate the seniors in our community.
Many members of the The Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia have been involved on the Board of Directors of Victoria Village since its inception, and still are today. Our club along with ANAF club supported the purchase of an accessible van to transport residents on outings, which supports their well being and mental health.
Sixteen bed Critical Care Unit (1984) Our first major gift in support of RVH.
Capital building fund (1987-1992)
Health Information Centre (1999-2002) Since 1997, the RVH Health Library has been an integral part of RVH’s commitment to providing contemporary, evidence-based health information to staff, physicians, patients and visitors across Simcoe County. Located on the second floor, next to Victoria’s Gift Shop near the Atrium Entrance, the library offers a large collection of academic textbooks, medical books, patient-education pamphlets, e-resources, computers and other electronic services. Library professionals are available to help you conduct literature searches, provide assistance with full-text article retrieval, and locate information on a wide variety of healthcare topics. If you are unable to visit the library, information can be sent electronically.
I Believe Campaign (2006-2014) As RVH is the largest hospital in Simcoe Muskoka the I Believe campaign supported an expansion that offered many upgrades including the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre. The expansion includes many specialized services not found elsewhere in the region such as a respiratory and cardiac unit and interventional radiology. It features $70 million in state-of-the-art equipment, including Canada’s first Robotic Intravenous Automation System (RIVA) for the safe, consistent preparation of chemotherapy treatments and one of the first fully-automated laboratories in the country. The additional capacity, services and technology allows RVH to care for more patients closer to home; repatriating those who have had to access care outside the region. redevelopment also included Rotary Place, a lodge for cancer patients, named in recognition of $1.5 million in contributions from Rotary Clubs throughout the region. That standalone building is also the location for RVH’s Family Medicine Teaching Unit, a highly successful partnership with the University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine. Here family medicine residents receive traditional classroom training from award-winning faculty and gain practical experience as they roster over 1,500 patients in the clinical setting of the teaching unit. This initiative furthers RVH’s goal of being a centre of educational excellence. The Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia was one of thirteen Rotary Clubs in the region that contributed more than $1.5 million to support RVH’s $450 million expansion.
Hearts and Minds Campaign (2016-2020) The Hearts and Minds campaign was planned to address the needs of the community. Previously lifesaving cardiac care was not available in North Simcoe Muskoka. The gold standard of cardiac care means treatment within 90 minutes of having a heart attack. Sixty percent of North Simcoe and Muskoka residents live outside this critical window. The new advanced cardiac care program changed that by offering diagnosis and treatment options such as angiograms and angioplasty to heart patients closer to home. North Simcoe Muskoka was the only region in Ontario to not have inpatient mental health services for children. RVH identified this need and it became one of the hospitals highest clinical priorities. The RVH Child and Youth Mental Health program included 8 child-friendly, acute mental health inpatient beds, acute outpatient services, acute crisis services and a day hospital program. Rotary Clubs of Barrie made a combined pledge to the Hearts and Minds Campaign.