Peel Region Donates Land Parcel in Mono Mills to Town for PTSI Centre

Peel Region is proud to partner with the Government of Canada, Province of Ontario, Runnymede Healthcare Centre, the Town of Caledon and other municipal partners by donating land to build Canada’s first post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) treatment centre for first responders.

At the Caledon Fire and Emergency Services/Peel Region paramedic station in Bolton on Friday, the Province confirmed their commitment to expanding access to comprehensive mental health and rehabilitation treatment for first responders affected by work-related stress or trauma.

The Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Centre of Excellence for First Responders will be a comprehensive mental health and rehabilitation treatment centre that will include a facility in Toronto and a 40-bed in-patient recovery centre in Caledon. Services will feature mental health assessments, rehabilitation and residential treatment, virtual care, 24/7 crisis support, peer support and navigation support.

In 2022, Peel Region Council approved the donation of a 38-acre parcel of land acquired in Mono Mills near Airport Road and Highway 9. “It gives me great pleasure to transfer this beautiful piece of Peel property to develop one of the first PTSI Centres of Excellence in Canada. I can think of no better use for the land than to turn it into a healing space for first responders in their time of need,” says Nando Iannicca, Chair, Peel Region. “In coming together to build state-of-the-art mental health facilities in Toronto and Peel region, we’re saying loud and clear that protecting the mental health of first responders is a priority. The PTSI Centre of Excellence will make it easier for Peel paramedics and police struggling with post-traumatic stress injuries to get the urgent care and support they need and deserve.”

Peel Region employs more than 2,000 paramedics and police officers who are regularly exposed to traumatic and high-stress situations. This puts first responders at higher risk for PTSI and other mental health injuries compared to people in other professions. To address this, Peel Region has invested in wide-ranging mental health supports and resources for this unique employee group.

“The PTSI Centre of Excellence is a welcome added layer of support for Peel paramedics, providing them with another way to seek help when they need it,” says Paramedic Chief Brian Gibson. “We are very fortunate that this first-of-its-kind facility will be built in Peel Region, where paramedics and our allied partners can easily access and benefit from it.”

Last year, Peel Regional Paramedic Services further demonstrated its commitment to protecting paramedic mental health by identifying psychological health and safety as one of three key focus areas in its 2024-2028 strategic plan.