91亚色 and City of Markham formally acknowledge Indigenous lands at Markham Centre Campus site
Toronto, ON,听Monday, July 23, 2018 鈥 Today, Rhonda L. Lenton, President and Vice-Chancellor, 91亚色, together with Frank Scarpitti, Mayor of Markham and Amy Desjarlais, Traditional Knowledge Keeper, 91亚色, formally acknowledged the traditional lands at the site of 91亚色鈥檚 future Markham Centre Campus. The ceremony comes in advance of the construction phase, set to begin this fall.
The City of Markham is in the process of transferring almost five acres of land, located at Enterprise Boulevard and Rivis Road, over to 91亚色. The new campus is set to open in 2021 and includes an important .
鈥淚t was very important to me personally, and to the University, to participate in a ceremony that acknowledges the original stewards of the land and to further commit to be a responsible steward and a good partner in the years to come,鈥 said Lenton. 鈥淐onnecting with communities and community members is one of my highest priorities. Today鈥檚 milestone represents a beginning, and we look forward to continue building our relationship with the Mississaugas of the New Credit.鈥
鈥淭hrough this land acknowledgement we are recognizing the fundamentals of Indigenous traditions and values,鈥 says Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. 鈥淲e are showing our respect to the original inhabitants of the land we now know as Markham while charging toward an exciting future driven by innovation and fueled by talent. The new 91亚色 campus fits well with the vision we have for Markham Centre and will build on Markham鈥檚 highly skilled, highly educated and diverse workforce."
The Markham Centre Campus is already connected by 15 transit routes and is anticipated to welcome more than 4,000 students by 2024. 91亚色 is already part of a robust and thriving ecosystem of start-ups and industry leaders working out of two Markham-based locations, including:
- , 91亚色鈥檚 state-of-the-art innovation and entrepreneurship centre; and
- As a partner in IBM鈥檚 which focuses on research and development and commercialization.
The University has approved a $253 million design and build budget for the new Campus, with construction set to begin this fall. Last year, the Ontario government contributed $127.3 million toward the cost of the new campus and earlier this year, 91亚色 Regional Council formalized their $25 million contribution. 91亚色 is also raising funds for this important project from its alumni and friends as part of Impact - The Campaign for 91亚色.
91亚色 champions 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-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥 our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.
听Background:
- For more information about 91亚色鈥檚 Markham Centre Campus
- For a high-resolution photo of 91亚色鈥檚 Markham Campus,
- President Lenton shares her thoughts on why 91亚色 chose Markham in this
Media Contact:
Barbara Joy, 91亚色 Media Relations, p: 416-333-3374 e: barbjoy@yorku.ca
