Linamar Corporation and its Skyjack division completed operations at its vaccination clinic in Guelph following an efficient launch that saw over 56,000 vaccines administered in the fight against COVID-19.
“We’re very happy with how the clinic ran from start to finish,” says Skyjack President Ken McDougall. “Our Linamar and Skyjack teams, volunteers, and public health staff did exceptional jobs transforming the Skyjack Customer Access Center into a vaccination clinic. In a short period of time, they ensured a smooth operation to immunize our community. We’re proud to have been part of such an important and historic initiative.”
In mid-March this year, Linamar and Skyjack opened one of three mass vaccination sites within the city of Guelph. The project took weeks of planning and coordination with Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph public health, Apex, the city of Guelph, and other local partners. Skyjack’s customer, United Rentals, also helped out by supplying needed material. It was all-hands-on-deck as thousands of people came through the door to get their COVID-19 shots.
“The community has been extremely thankful for the clinic,” says John Pham, senior program manager at Linamar, who led the vaccination project. “Volunteers came to me almost every day with eyes lit up to share positive feedback from patients and to express how much they appreciate being part of such a titanic effort to keep Canadians healthy.”
More than 82 percent of residents 12 years and older have received at least one dose, and more than 74 percent are fully vaccinated in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph region, with Guelph itself sitting at 88 percent and 80 percent on those respective measures.
The Linamar/Skyjack clinic closure comes as public health moves the region into the next phase of the vaccination program. Following the clinic closure, Skyjack will work to reopen its Customer Access Center that displays various Skyjack models, award plaques, and hosts hundreds of clients each year.
“I am so proud of John and the whole Project Safeguard team for launching the clinic in record time and running it at record levels of efficiency,” says Linda Hasenfratz, Linamar CEO. “I love the intersection of high-volume advanced manufacturing with leading edge health care seen in this project. I feel like we learned a lot from each other in this process and know we enjoyed so much working with the excellent team at WDGPH.”
Dr. Nicola Mercer, medical officer of health and CEO of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health added, “As the clinic at Linamar/Skyjack comes to a close, I want to extend my most sincere thanks on behalf of WDG Public Health and the whole of our region. From the leadership team to the front line, Linamar has been a leader and true partner in fighting this pandemic. Without them, the success of our local vaccination program would not have been possible.”
Linamar published a vaccination clinic playbook with information, documents, and best practices to help other businesses start their own facilities. Smaller clinics in Guelph, Fergus, and Orangeville will remain open, and pop-up clinics are planned throughout the fall, according to a press release from health officials.
Information provided by Skyjack and edited by Alexis Sheprak
