TORONTO, June 9, 2017 – Today, York University is celebrating a $127 million commitment by the Ontario government that will enable York to open a Markham Centre Campus in 2021.

The provincial government funding, announced this morning by Michael Chan, MPP Markham-Unionville, on behalf of the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development, is crucial for the creation of the new campus. Within a few years of opening, Markham Centre Campus will bring capacity for more than 4,000 students to an area of the province which has a high demand for post-secondary education.

The new campus will be built on a five-acre site contributed by the City of Markham, valued at $27 million in 2016. York Region will contribute $25 million and York University has embarked on a fundraising campaign for the Markham Centre Campus. The total project cost will be made public once the work has been awarded.

The new campus will offer more than 20 degree programs and York will work with academic partner Seneca College to offer several joint programs. Markham Centre Campus will also form partnerships with the community to design research programs to meet regional needs, offer experiential education to students and create opportunities for commercialization and jobs.

Located near the corner of Enterprise Boulevard and Rivis Road, near the Markham Pan Am Centre, the Markham Centre Campus is already serviced by 15 transit routes and is anticipated to accommodate up to 10,000 students in future phases.

More Information about York University−Markham Centre: http://markhamcentre.yorku.ca/

QUOTES:

“Our government is building the first university campus in York Region and bringing more postsecondary education opportunities to Markham. A new campus will meet the growing needs of this quickly expanding population and will support Ontario’s highly skilled workforce of the future.”

— Deb Matthews, Ontario’s Deputy Premier, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development, and Minister Responsible for Digital Government

“This is a thrilling and transformative day for our community here in Markham. Our government’s multi-million dollar investment in this beautiful new campus delivers on our commitment to expand post-secondary education options in high-growth locations and will offer thousands of students a broad range of programs from which to learn, experience, grow and prepare for the future, close to home.”

— Michael Chan, MPP, Markham-Unionville

“With this announcement of dedicated funding to our new Markham Centre Campus, York University and our partners are one important step closer to opening its doors in 2021. The $127M in funding from the Government of Ontario will ensure we are able to meet the growing demand for access to leading-edge post-secondary education in York Region, partner with local businesses and industry to provide unique experiential learning opportunities for our students, and contribute to the expansion of the Region’s major economic clusters. We are delighted that Premier Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario government are dedicated to the success of our new York University campus in Markham Centre.”

— Mamdouh Shoukri, President and Vice-Chancellor, York University

“We have been working in collaboration with York University to get the new campus built in Markham. I applaud the Provincial government for their financial support making our dream a reality. This new campus will help build a vibrant cultural and academic hub within Markham and York Region. Markham is already home to Canada's tech and life sciences leaders and this addition of a world class University will allow us to attract and retain some of brightest minds in the world, work with industry leaders on research and development, support and grow our local talent pool and provide opportunities for students to thrive in their local community.”

— His Worship, Frank Scarpitti, Mayor, City of Markham

“A university campus has been identified as the top economic priority for York Region. The $25-million investment our council is making to support a York University campus in Markham is an investment in our people, the economy and our future. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners to advance this important project.”

— Wayne Emmerson, Chairman and CEO, Regional Municipality of York

York University is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni. York U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.



Media Contact:

Janice Walls, Media Relations, York University, 416 455 4710, wallsj@yorku.ca