Georgian College and Grey County launch new partnership to advance sustainable rural development
April 22, 2025
Georgian College is joining forces with Grey County to support Future Ready, a bold new initiative that will encourage sustainable development and infrastructure planning in the region. Coinciding with Earth Day, the partnership announcement highlights a shared commitment to building greener, more resilient communities and accelerating local climate action across the region.
This innovative regional collaboration, supporting work in Grey, Dufferin and Wellington counties, will see Georgian’s Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship department working with local municipalities and other key contributors to assess sustainable construction needs and opportunities across the three counties.
Through a comprehensive market scan of regionally available sustainable construction solutions, such as solar panels, energy-efficient windows, and low-carbon building materials, the project demonstrates the shared commitment to making a real difference in our communities. Georgian students will be actively involved in this project, supporting data analysis, mapping assets, conducting market research and more.
This partnership reflects Georgian’s commitment to community impact, sustainability, and innovation. We’re supporting a practical roadmap for local sustainable development while providing students with experiential learning that prepares them to help lead a greener, more resilient future.
– Laleh Khodaparast, Director, Research and Innovation at Georgian College
Rural development to be ‘meaningful and achievable’
With rural municipalities facing growing infrastructure demands and increasing pressure to meet national and provincial sustainability goals, the Future Ready project aims to ensure that development performance metrics are both meaningful and achievable.
As the project progresses, these metrics may include the energy efficiency of new buildings, EV charging stations, green space, tree canopy coverage in new developments, and more. By grounding solutions in local realities, the project seeks to strengthen regional capacity and align with broader climate and infrastructure priorities in Ontario and across Canada.
We’re excited to have the support of Georgian College on a project that is so deeply rooted in the needs of our communities. The college’s support of Future Ready is an opportunity to build a roadmap that not only addresses infrastructure and sustainability but also positions our region as a leader in forward-thinking, community-driven development.
– Andrea Matrosovs, Grey County Warden
The collaboration builds on Georgian’s strong reputation for applied research as one of Canada’s top 50 research colleges, and its longstanding connections with industry and municipalities.