Laurentian University
Barrie, Ontario
Laurentian University is exploring the potential for a campus in downtown Barrie. Barrie has grown substantially in the last 20 years – from 1988 to 2008 the population grew from 48,000 to 140,000. Currently the Census Metropolitan Area of Barrie is by far the largest CMA in Ontario without a University. The community’s ability to attract and retain the highly educated workers needed for sustained growth has become central to long-term economic success. The City of Barrie has clearly identified its intention of bringing a university into the community and Laurentian University is well suited to fulfill this need. One of the City’s major strategic goals for 2010-2014 is to create a vibrant and healthy city centre and one of the projects identified in achieving this is to encourage a city centre post secondary presence. Greenberg Consultants has been engaged by Laurentian University to work with the Planning Partnership to explore options for introducing the University within Barrie’s downtown and to engage key stakeholders in the local community in understanding the implications and benefits of such integration.