The grand opening of the Casa Loma gym on October 14, 2015 marked history for George Brown College and the

Anne Sado, President of George Brown College, joined students and staff to officiate the new Casa Loma gymnasium. Sado recognized the necessity of the renovations to the almost 42-year-old gym, "we're committed to ensuring all students have a great college experience, both inside and outside the classroom." The upgrades, according to Sado, will help promote physical and mental wellness and will continue to thrive as a place where, "students can come together to hone their skills and make new friends; to set ambitious goals and achieve them."

Among the select few invited to lead the grand opening ceremonies was Albert DaSilva a former basketball player and OCAA gold medalist. He has shown his commitment to George Brown for over 32 years and has witnessed the Casa Loma gym go through many transformations. "It has been a big change," DaSilva says of the new gym. "Everyone has worked together to make it great."

For DaSilva, the remodeling of the gym means happier and healthier students and that's enough feedback for him. "It means a lot to see the faces on our students [when they enter the gym]. Everybody looks forward to coming to see it and the brightness and equipment that is involved is tremendously appreciated as well."

Like Albert, Val Pozzan, is a dedicated alumni and former employee at George Brown for 35 years. The OCAA hall of famer came out to the Casa Loma campus to celebrate the renovated gymnasium. Not only was he there to admire the hard work put into the reconstruction but also take a trip down memory lane.

Well before the Casa Loma campus was erected, Pozzan spent his time playing on the third floor gym at the Kensington campus during high school tournaments. "The gym had ceramic floor and was very hard," Pozzan said recalling the outdated facility. "It was actually a movie theatre before it was a gym."

Nearly two years after he graduated from the fitness and lifestyle management program at George Brown, Pozzan found himself back on the court but this time as an employee. Working directly with Alex Barbier, Val watched as the gymnasium went from new to old then new again, transforming into the modern court Casa Loma can now call its' own.

"The philosophy of this place is all about the students," Pozzan recalls. "Without the students, we wouldn't be here. [Building a new gym] is how we give back to them."

With new gym facilities, changing rooms and classrooms, the Casa Loma gym received the necessary repair to provide a secondary regulation sized court for our ever-expanding Huskies. With the efforts of many, we welcome the new and improved addition to George Brown College.