Over the course of several months, a dedicated team of professionals researched and consulted with a number of health professionals from across the country making a business case for a new medical campus on Cape Breton Island. They learned from colleagues with experience with medical schools in other jurisdictions and in December of 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with the Faculty of Medicine. The MOU outlines the framework under which the new medical campus will be developed and operated. This partnership will ensure future students receive excellent medical education that will benefit Cape Breton and the Province of Nova Scotia for generations.

This transformational initiative is made possible with the support of the Province of Nova Scotia. On January 27, 2023 as part of his State of the Province address here in Cape Breton, Premier Tim Houston announced the medical campus would become a reality. On March 7, 2023, the Premier again travelled to Cape Breton and announced a $58.9 million investment in the medical campus. Of that amount, $49 million is for the creation of a medical sciences centre, $6.2 million will create a 10,000 patient Collaborative Clinic and $3.7 million will expand the Health and Counselling Centre at CBU.

The campus will open no later than the fall of 2025 and will train up to 30 students each year. There will be a focus on the health priorities of Cape Breton, which will create opportunities in education and research. The campus will train much needed physicians for rural practice. The students will have an opportunity to study in culturally safe care, learning from clinicians who practice in rural areas across the province.

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