Lakehead University officials from Orillia made a presentation to Barrie city council last night. There was, however, no pitch for funding despite its expansion plans, such as growing its student body to 3,500 students from 2,100 and adding 10 new programs.
But Lakehead, which has an Orillia campus and a partnership with Barrie’s Georgian College campus, has included Barrie in its expansion plans.
“We’re at a bit of an interesting moment in time. We’re asking what is next for Lakehead University,” said Michael den Haan, Lakehead’s vice-president of external relations. “Our buildings are full, we’re once again looking into the future to grow and we remain committed to the County (of Simcoe) as we do that and look at that.”
“We have laid down very solid roots here in Simcoe County, in Barrie and in Orillia, and we’re looking now to have conversations with our surrounding communities and stakeholders about how we branch out as we move forward, so that’s why we’re here today,” said Dr. Linda Rodenburg, interim principal at Lakehead’s Orillia campus.
Coun. Clare Riepma got straight to the point, however.
“What’s your ask here tonight? What would you really like the city of Barrie to do to support you?” said the Ward 1 councillor.
Den Haan said it was too early to answer those questions.
“We’ve got big ambitions and big ambitions come with great need, but we want to be focused as well as strategic,” he said. “We want to be sure that our future is going to be bright for everyone and we’re lifting the tides for all boats.
“We know we can’t do it alone, so we have to work with our partners, which includes the City of Barrie," den Haan added.
Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall agreed it was early in the process, but offered the city’s aid.
“So as you’re going through your strategic plan, how can we help?” he said. “It’s too early for an ask. Too early for those types of things. Tell us how we can help impact your strategic plan to help our residents and young people specifically be able to have access to that and an expanded role right here in the community.”
Nuttall said a standalone university campus in Barrie has long been a city goal.
“We are incredibly blessed with Georgian College, but there’s also a gap in our market here,” he said. “For a long time we’ve been promised a university by multiple people who’ve either sought office or been in the education world.
“And it’s perplexing for the residents of the city of Barrie that we have a city … (with a 160,000 population) without a fulsome university in our geographic border, and half an hour, 25 minutes up the highway a city of 30,000 (Orillia) has a university partner that’s looking to increase their economic impact.”
Coun. Sergio Morales had specific concerns about what an expansion of Lakehead into Barrie would look like.
“Do you currently have a student housing build-up policy for your existing campus in Orillia or for future expansions?” he asked. “Do you have a policy that dictates if we create an area of growth that has 1,000 students we shall, we will, not want to, but shall create 'X' number of student housing beds?”
“I don’t think we do,” said den Haan. “We’re currently out of space, our residence on our Orillia campus. That’s something we will absolutely need to address at some point in the future.”
Morales said housing problems caused in Barrie’s east end by more Georgian College students than residence space cannot be repeated in any Lakehead expansion here.
“And since you guys (Lakehead officials) aren’t making an ask yet, it’s all good, but for … in any future possible capital (funding) ask about expansion, that is going to be a huge priority for me,” Morales said, “because the current situation with Georgian has left much to be desired in terms of expansion and missing inventory for student housing that has been affecting the north end quite terribly. And I can say that as a resident of that area for 21 years.”
Lakehead arrived in Orillia in 2006 with 101 students, Rodenburg said, the majority of them from Barrie. Now there are 2,104 students at Lakehead in Orillia and also in the Lakehead Georgian partnerships in Barrie.
There are more than 20 Lakehead undergraduate and graduate programs, seven faculties of studies and 253 employees at Lakehead Orillia and Lakehead Georgian.
Lakehead currently has 294 undergraduate students from Barrie, while 681 Lakehead alumni live and work in Barrie, Rodenburg said.
And within two years of graduation, 91 per cent of Lakehead graduates have jobs related to their field of study.
Lakehead University has campuses in Thunder Bay and Orillia.
