Another New Start: Lakehead’s Barrie Expansion
Lakehead is furthering its Simcoe County investments. The University is opening up another campus in the downtown core of Barrie, Ontario. Following a landmark agreement with the City of Barrie, the Thunder Bay founded institution is set to open this specialized STEM Hub in the fall of 2026, with construction having started November of last year [2025]. While Lakehead has long been “Simcoe County’s university” through its Orillia campus, this new downtown expansion represents a strategic pivot toward urban revitalization and a direct response to the region's growing demand for talent in the STEM sector.
Barrie has held the distinction of being one of the only major urban growth centres in Ontario without a dedicated university campus. The announcement of the STEM Hub, to be located at the repurposed transit terminal at 24 Maple Avenue, effectively ends that drought. The significance goes beyond any type of branding. The city itself hopes that this campus will have the effect of talent retention -- in a statement from the city on the subject of the campus’s approval the following was said, “Having a local university presence will boost the local economy by creating a pipeline of skilled workers ready to join in-demand industries, especially in STEM fields, in addition to revitalizing Barrie’s downtown through…goods and services, dining, and entertainment.” Students also no longer have to leave the region for an education in fields like engineering and computer science, effectively combating the region's brain drain.
The physical logistics of the campus are as innovative as the curriculum. The campus will occupy roughly 7,000 square feet of interior space, the ground floor of the former transit terminal, and a 15,000 square foot courtyard. To make the space functional for labs and specialized research, the university plans to utilize modular buildings in the courtyard. While some might question how feasible, or sufficient the use of modular buildings and the location of a converted bus station is, the university argues the hub model allows for high tech, high density learning environments that “mirror” that of industry settings. The campus is expected to start with an intake of 200 students, eventually scaling up to 700-800 students within 5 years.
The biggest issue is the uncertainty of student housing. Barrie is already grappling with a severe housing crisis and soaring rents. To address this, the provincial government has contributed $1 million towards student housing needs. However, unlike the Thunder Bay, or Orillia campuses, there are no immediate plans for university owned residences. Instead, Lakehead is exploring “innovative solutions,” such as the SpacesShared platform which matches students with older adults who have spare rooms, and hoping private developers will fill the gap with dedicated student housing in the downtown core. Another solution to housing is that of Georgian Green, who are also offering housing to “Lakehead students from the Orillia Campus and Barrie STEM Hub.”
While the STEM Hub is an undeniably exciting milestone for Lakehead and the City of Barrie, it might be more fair to view this as a pilot project for a larger vision. But there are some big challenges that must be addressed at some point: Is the campus sufficient? Will there be any long term housing goals? What are future plans regarding expansion should this all be a success? For now, however, the Thunderwolves have a new den, only time will tell if the pack can thrive in their new home.