Lakehead breaks new ground

Author: Frank Matys

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Frank Matys

Dr. Kim Fedderson, dean of Lakehead University’s Orillia campus, stands at the site of the school’s permanent campus, where a groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday.

The strike of shovels against sod will signal the start of work at the future home of Lakehead University’s permanent campus in Orillia.
Officials gathered June 11 at the rural site along Line 15 and Old Barrie Road for a ceremonial groundbreaking.
Campus dean Dr. Kim Fedderson said the school’s location provides “a viable option” for students outside the region to attend “a highly credited university closer to home.
“Lakehead Orillia will be able to help meet the demand for post-secondary education in Simcoe County and the Greater Toronto Area, and it provides the City of Orillia and Simcoe County with a resource that will have long-term economic and social impacts,” Fedderson added.
The project includes a $45-million academic building capable of accommodating 1,200 students.
Spread over 80,000 square feet, the state-of-the-art facility will feature an environmentally-sustainable design, noted Dr. Fred Gilbert, the school’s president.
“Lakehead University will be a continental leader in energy conservation, ecological awareness and social consciousness,” Gilbert added. “Environmental academic programs will find a natural home at the new campus.”
A 250-bed residence and a food services building are also planned, with the three buildings to be ready in time for a September 2010 opening.
The local campus is the only university in Ontario to offer a combined arts and science degree.
Other programs include: Honour Bachelor of Arts and Sciences with Concurrent Education; Bachelor of Administration; Honours Bachelor of Social Work; and Master of Business Administration.
Programs to be added in future include criminology, environmental studies and an expanded Bachelor of Education degree.
Once fully developed, the campus will employ a staff of more than 500 and have an annual economic impact of $200 million, according to the school.
The City of Orillia pledged $10 million in land, infrastructure and cash as its contribution to the project.
“It is a great feeling that we have reached this point,” Mayor Ron Stevens said. “It has almost been five years, whether we realized it or not. It is the future of the city, is what it is.”
Close to 30 per cent of students currently attending the Orillia campus hail from outside the county.
Nearly 80 per cent of applicants for the coming year are from outside the area, with more than 30 per cent coming from the Greater Toronto Area and a quarter from southern and southwestern Ontario.
Officials said Lakehead’s existing downtown campus would remain open once the new campus is in operation.
Located in the Orillia City Centre, the existing campus can accommodate 500 students.