Brampton’s New University Partner Revealed Today
Published March 15, 2017 at 12:11 am
After much talk, controversy and, ultimately, excitement, we now know what university will be setting up shop in Brampton.
After much talk, controversy and, ultimately, excitement, we now know what university will be setting up shop in Brampton.
Today, the Ontario Government announced that Ryerson University will be the city’s university partner.
The university will operate in partnership with Sheridan College, which operates the long-standing Davis campus in the city.
“Today’s update from the province is exciting, and we are looking forward to learning more about Ryerson University’s proposal as the process moves forward,” Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey told inbrampton.com in an email.
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The road to the university has been something of an interesting one.
In late 2016, Brampton council fretted over how the $180 million promised by the province to fund the project will be split between it and Milton (the other city set to receive a university partner). Council also wondered where the university would take shape and how much funding they would be responsible for.
Hiccups aside, the plan appears to be moving forward.
Earlier, the province announced that its plan is to create new postsecondary facilities focused on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics–subjects often grouped together under the acronym STEAM. The two new sites are part of the second phase of Ontario’s expansion of post-secondary infrastructure. In May of 2015, the province announced the creation of the York University-Markham Centre campus in partnership with Seneca College.
The partnership with Sheridan is not unexpected, as the province once announced that it “expects Ontario universities to demonstrate strong partnerships with colleges, as well as local communities, business, and other institutions.”
Obviously, a relationship with Sheridan would make the most sense. The college is well-established in the city with a range of innovative programming that local students already take advantage of. If the college can partner with the incoming institution to provide students with an academic experience that’s both practical and theoretical, all the better.
So while the news is big, it was definitely a long time coming.
“Brampton happens to be the only top ten city in the country without a university. During my mayoral campaign, I heard loud and clear from the residents of Brampton that this was unacceptable. Brampton has the youngest population of the top ten cities in the country, which also happens to be extremely diverse and highly dynamic,” Jeffrey said in an email. “Our city is a prime destination for a university, which is also supplemented by our central position on the Innovation Super Corridor between Waterloo and downtown Toronto. Our city is emerging as an innovation hub and a university would only strengthen that position.”
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