Conestoga College spends millions on expansion

*This media release was written as part of my coursework at Conestoga College.

Conestoga College announces new campuses and residences across the GTA and KWC area to accommodate the growing number of students amid Canada’s population boom. 

To support its increasing student body, as seen with the influx of more than 40,000 new students, of which 19,000 are international, Conestoga College is all set to accept students at the new campus in Milton in 2024, alongside expanding campus and residence spaces in Guelph, Kitchener and Waterloo. 

John Tibbits, president of Conestoga College, said, “We never planned to grow this quickly, but the demand is large, and the needs are large.” 

Following the success of the newer Downtown Kitchener Campus, also known as DTK, which is already at capacity, Conestoga College expects to spend more than $90 million Cdn to purchase, lease and renovate two buildings and a new campus planned to open in the City of Guelph. 

On Sept. 21, 2023, Conestoga College announced the purchase of two buildings in downtown Kitchener and Waterloo to address the shortage of space at the DTK campus and provide student residence. These purchases include a 12-storey vacant office building at 22 Frederick St., Kitchener and a five-storey former Wilfred Laurier student residence building at 60 University Ave., Waterloo. 

Construction on the new student residence at DTK begins June 11, and other renovations are expected to run through 2024. The new classrooms and residences at DTK will open by the end of 2024. Tibbits said, “What we want to be able to say to parents in foreign countries is ... we want this to be part of the experience at Conestoga: safe housing, quality housing, a low price point.” 

The Mayor of Kitchener, Berry Vrbanovic, embraces the announcement, saying, “We want downtown Kitchener to be known as an ideas hub fostering the knowledge-based economy of tomorrow. These student developments support one of the fastest growing economies and communities in the country.” 

Vrbanovic’s focus on developing the education sector in the downtown core has been part of Kitchener's strategic vision for the last 20 years. “International students have added vibrancy, opportunity and vitality to the life of downtown Kitchener, and this is an investment in the future of the city,” said Vrbanovic. The different campuses add millions a year to the city’s economic activity. 

Prospective students can find more information at www.conestogac.on.ca. Conestoga is a leader in polytechnic education, delivering a full range of career-focused education, training and applied research programs through a network of campuses and training centres. 

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