Administrators at Wilfrid Laurier University say they’ll continue to push for a new campus in Milton despite their latest proposal being rejected by the province.
The provincial government announced Wednesday that it had chosen one of 19 proposals for new post-secondary campuses in and around the Greater Toronto Area.
That campus will be in Markham, and run as a partnership between York University and Seneca College.
In a press release, Laurier president Max Blouw called the decision a “profound disappointment” for the school.
“Our proposal aligned with all the key requirements and objectives set out by the province,” he said.
Last summer, the Town of Milton agreed to gift 150 acres of land on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment to Laurier – as long as the proposed campus got provincial approval.
School officials had projected a 2,500-student campus focused on sustainability and the liberal arts.
Laurier will continue to look for ways to get provincial approval for a Milton campus, the press release said.
The province plans to issue another call for proposals next spring, focused on a new postsecondary option for the Peel and Halton regions – the latter of which include Milton within their borders.
