Stories of Support

Celebrating the P&OT program through the Landmark project

The Physical and Occupational Therapy class of 1967 celebrate their combined program with a donation to be recognized on a Landmark Project bench.

Leading up to the 50th anniversary of their graduation from U of T’s physical and occupational therapy program, several members of the class of 1967 proposed coming together in support of a Landmark Project bench.

“The University only offered the combined P&OT program for a little over two decades,” says Lynn Corbey (DPTOT 167), “and as a class we were looking for a way to celebrate our unique program. We had tossed a few ideas around, but it wasn’t until we learned about the Landmark Project that everything came together! The project captured everyone’s enthusiasm and within a month we raised all of the money we needed for a bench.”

For Lynn’s classmate Karen Jones (DPTOT 167), a bench situated in the heart of the St. George campus was an opportunity to recognize the combined P&OT program in a very public way. “We were part of the Faculty of Medicine,” says Karen, “but we were kind of tucked away. It will be really special to have a spot on campus that’s in the middle of everything, that commemorates our program and also contributes to the entire University community.”

CREATING SPACES TO COME TOGETHER

The Landmark Project is the University’s most significant landscape project of the past century.

The Project will return the historic core of U of T to pedestrians, and foster community life on campus through a significant reduction in surface parking and the addition of new plazas, paths, pavilions, gardens and vistas. The downtown campus will become a greener and more dynamic place, while preserving the intrinsic beauty and character of one of Canada’s most significant landscapes. The overall experience will be more comfortable and inviting, with greater opportunities for alumni, faculty and students to come together with a stronger sense of connection to one another and to the University as a whole.

“We were a small group, only 80 or 90 women—it was all women back then—and there was a real camaraderie amongst us,” says Aita Moore (DPTOT 167). “The University has grown so much over the past 50 years. The Landmark Project is a perfect way to help engender the kinds of connections and community that we had when the campus was a smaller and more intimate place.”

LEAVE YOUR MARK ON U OF T

Varieties of gift recognition opportunities are available through the Landmark Project, including new gardens, trees, benches and granite paving stones. Starting at $1,000 for the placement of an engraved paving stone, these opportunities offer a unique and meaningful way to pay tribute to a loved one, celebrate a milestone or honour your time at U of T.

“Being back on campus takes me right back to my student days,” says Esther Atkin (DPTOT 167). “We took our classes in the School of Practical Science building, which everybody called the ‘Old Red Skule House.’ I distinctly remember my first day, climbing the wooden steps and meeting my classmates. I had this feeling like, wow, I really fit in here. Fifty years later, many of the women I met at U of T remain close friends. I’m thrilled that the Landmark Project has given us the chance to remember that special time in our lives in such a meaningful and lasting way.”

Posted on March 6, 2018