The Michener Institute looking to expand archives during its 50th Anniversary

January 28^th, 2008 TORONTO – The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences is beginning its 50^th Anniversary celebrations with The Golden Archives Launch on Tuesday, January 29^th, 2008 at 10 a.m.

As the first 50^th Anniversary event, The Golden Archives Launch marks the beginning of a year long campaign to gather items from alumni, students and past and present faculty and staff to expand the school’s archives. Michener is looking for donations of brochures, event programs, photos and other items people may have from their time at Michener. There will also be a video camera set up at the Launch for guests to record their favourite Michener memories. Some messages will be transcribed into the 50^th Anniversary commemorative book at the end of the year.

“This event will give us the opportunity to add to our archives and give people a chance to tell us stories about what Michener means to them,” says Dr. Paul Gamble, President and CEO, The Michener Institute. “In celebration of our 50^th year we invite anyone with memories and artifacts from Michener to come and share those with us and donate items to our archives.”

n addition to The Golden Archives Launch there are other events throughout 2008 to celebrate the major milestone of reaching 50.

• An appreciation event for Michener educators, past and present, held in May.
• In September Michener will host a street party for the Michener community, the University Avenue hospitals, Baldwin Village and the Queen Street West community.
• At the end of November, the very first Homecoming weekend will be held in conjunction with Michener’s Open House.
• On Homecoming weekend Michener will also host it’s first Alumni and Friends Gala Dinner.

What began as a Medical Laboratory pilot program at Toronto General Hospital is now an educational facility boasting over 18 full-time, part-time and continuing education programs, many unique to Ontario and Canada.

In the last 50 years many new programs and initiatives have helped Michener gain the reputation it has today. Programs like Respiratory Therapy, introduced in 1969, and Anesthesia Assistant, introduced in 2005, show that Michener is always evolving to fill the needs set forth by the Canadian health care system. Partnerships with Canadian universities such as U of T and Dalhousie, and international connections in Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica make Michener well respected in the academic communities of many countries.

For Michener, the 50^th Anniversary is a celebration of accomplishments from the past, enjoyment of the present and a look forward towards the future at what is to come.

Event: The Golden Archives Launch

Date: Tuesday, January 29^th, 2008 at 10 a.m.

Where: The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences, 222 St. Patrick Street, Toronto, Ontario (One block west of University Avenue and north of Dundas Street)

For more information about Michener, interview requests or media tours:
Iliana Arapis 416-596-3120 / IArapis@michener.ca