(Barrie, ON) – Today, the City of Barrie and Lakehead University celebrated the completion of the Lakehead University Barrie STEM Hub in the heart of downtown Barrie’s vibrant waterfront. Bringing a university presence to the city represents a transformative investment in talent, education, and economic growth in Barrie.
The Barrie STEM Hub is a multi-site facility with two locations: 24 Maple Avenue (the former Barrie Transit Terminal) and 5 Ross Street. These facilities have been transformed into more than 26,000 square feet of lab and classroom space, offering vibrant spaces designed to deliver hands-on education in engineering, mechatronics, and computer science at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The dual-location model will support both student experience and business collaboration.
As enrolment grows over time, the STEM Hub is expected to bring upwards of 800 students, researchers, and employees into the downtown over the next several years. The STEM Hub will enable students to learn locally for in-demand careers, supply industry with skilled talent, and generate economic benefits for the city with more demand for goods, services, dining, and entertainment.
With small class sizes, mentorship opportunities, and strong connections to local industry, the STEM Hub will empower students to explore, innovate, and launch successful careers in STEM fields.
Lakehead University will welcome the inaugural Barrie STEM Hub class on September 8, 2026.
For more information about the Barrie STEM Hub, visit barrie.ca/STEMHub or lakeheadu.ca/barrie.
QUOTES
“Today is truly a game-changer for our city. The opening of the Lakehead University Barrie STEM Hub is a major investment in our future and an important step in advancing Barrie’s emerging education district. With hundreds of students now studying downtown, we are bringing more people, more activity and more opportunity to the heart of our city. I look forward to seeing the incredible impact the Lakehead University Barrie STEM Hub will have on our community.”
- Alex Nuttall, Mayor of the City of Barrie
“With the opening of the Barrie STEM Hub, we’re establishing the first university campus in Barrie–a history-making moment for the City of Barrie and for Lakehead University. At its heart, the STEM Hub is about creating opportunities for students. It’s about building stronger connections between education and industry and ensuring that talented young people have the opportunity to learn, stay, build careers and contribute to the communities around them. An immeasurable amount of work has gone into preparing the Barrie STEM Hub to welcome our first cohort of students in just a few weeks, and today, we’re incredibly proud to officially open the doors to this exciting new chapter.”
- Dr. Gillian Siddall, President and Vice-Chancellor of Lakehead University
