Lakehead University is a

public research university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national university ...

with campuses in

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its populati ...

and

Orillia Orillia is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is in Simcoe County between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Although it is geographically located within Simcoe County, the city is a List of municipalities in Ontario#Single-tier municipalities, single ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada. Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', is

non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...

and provincially supported. It has undergraduate programs, graduate programs, the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, the only internationally accredited (

AACSB The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, also known as AACSB International, is an American professional organization. It was founded as the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business in 1916 to provide accreditation to ...

) business school in northern Ontario, and is home to the western campus of the

Northern Ontario School of Medicine Northern Ontario School of Medicine University (NOSM University; french: Université de l'École de médecine du Nord de l'Ontario) is a public medical university in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is mandated both to educate doctors and ...

. Lakehead has more than 45,000 alumni. The main campus in

has about 7,900 students. As of September 2006, a new permanent extension campus in Orillia, located about north of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, has about 1,400 students.

History

Lakehead University evolved from Lakehead Technical Institute and Lakehead College of Arts, Science, and Technology. Lakehead Technical Institute was established in response to a brief that outlined the need for an institution of higher education in northwestern Ontario. It was established on June 4, 1946, by an Order-in-Council of the Province of

. Classes commenced in January 1948, in temporary rented quarters in downtown Port Arthur. In September of that same year, the first university courses were added to the curriculum.Harold S. Braun with William G. Tamblyn. 'A Northern Vision: The Development of Lakehead University.' Thunder Bay: Lakehead University, President's Office, 1987. Lakehead College of Arts, Science and Technology was established by an Act of the

Ontario Legislature The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...

, proclaimed on August 1, 1957. Years later, the original Lakehead College of Arts, Science and Technology Act was amended to grant the college authority to establish new faculties, and confer degrees in arts and sciences. The Lakehead University Act was given royal assent on June 22, 1965, and came into force on July 1, 1965. The ''Lakehead College of Arts, Science and Technology'', thereafter known as "Lakehead University," was continued under this new charter. The first degrees were conferred on May 5, 1965. The first university chancellor was Senator

Norman McLeod Paterson Norman McLeod Paterson, KGStJ, DCL, LLD (August 3, 1883 – August 10, 1983) was a Canadian businessman and politician. Life and career Born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, the son of Hugh Savigny Paterson and Ella Snider, he started w ...

Campuses

Thunder Bay campus

The original college site comprised about 32 hectares of land in south-west Port Arthur, Ontario. From 1962 to 1965, an additional 87 hectares of adjoining land was purchased in anticipation of future expansion. The first building was opened in 1957. In 2005 the

(NOSM) was formed as a joint initiative between Lakehead University and

Laurentian University Laurentian University (french: Université Laurentienne), officially the Laurentian University of Sudbury, is a mid-sized bilingual public university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, incorporated on March 28, 1960. Laurentian offers a variety ...

Sudbury Sudbury may refer to: Places Australia * Sudbury Reef, Queensland Canada * Greater Sudbury, Ontario (official name; the city continues to be known simply as Sudbury for most purposes) ** Sudbury (electoral district), one of the city's federal el ...

organized within the Faculty of Medicine of both Laurentian (East Campus) and Lakehead (West Campus) universities. The medical school has multiple teaching and research sites across

Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on part of the Superior Geological Pro ...

, including large and small communities. Students are given a choice of attending either one of the two main NOSM campuses. NOSM is the only Canadian medical school to be established as a stand-alone not-for-profit corporation, with its own Board of Directors and corporation bylaws. A new

law school A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...

was established; the faculty accepted its first students in 2013. The program is housed in the former

Port Arthur Collegiate Institute Port Arthur Collegiate Institute was a collegiate institute operated by the Lakehead District School Board in Thunder Bay, Ontario from 1910 to 2007. The building was designated a historic building in 1984 and is located at the west end of Wav ...

. In 2014 it was named the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, after the fourteenth Chief Justice of Canada. Lakehead University's physical plant now consists of 39 buildings and 116 hectares of property including 40 hectares of landscaped and maintained grounds.

Orillia campus

Lakehead University opened a campus at Heritage Place in Downtown

in 2006; during the first semester there were about 100 students. In September 2010 the university expanded to its new 500 University Avenue location. A new academic building at this site represents the first phase in the development of Canada's first

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, constructio ...

(LEED) Platinum university campus. A 271-bed student residence building and a cafeteria/bookstore facility opened in November 2012 at the University Avenue site. Lakehead Orillia now has over 1,200 students studying at the Heritage Place and University Avenue sites. Undergraduate programs are offered at the 500 University Avenue site, while the professional year of Lakehead Orillia's education programs are offered at the downtown campus.

Residence

Accommodations at Lakehead are divided into three living styles: residence halls, apartments and townhouses. The Thunder Bay residence currently has a total of 1,196 beds and three cafeteria/dining halls. Students can choose from meal options that range from kitchenette, full-kitchen and complete meal plan depending on the residence styles. The men's residence for 52 students was opened in fall of 1962, and has grown to include a residence village consisting of 10 new buildings. The village is situated on the banks of the McIntyre River within five-minute walking distance of all university buildings and athletic facilities. From 1989 to 1992, a complex of townhouses, including some handicap accessible units, was added to the residence facility. A 271-bed residence in Orillia opened its doors in late Fall 2012. The Orillia residence has two meal plan options for students, as well as one cafeteria, owned by Madison Count

Agricultural Research Station

The university supports a research station near Thunder Bay to test newly developed crop varieties. The station had been in operation for a number of years, and was officially taken over by the university in 2018.

Academic organization

The university has nine faculties: Business Administration,

Education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

Engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

, Natural Resources Management, Faculty of Health and Behavioral Sciences,

Science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence ...

and

Environmental Studies Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sciences, commerce/economics, the humanities, and socia ...

Social Sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of so ...

and

Humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at t ...

Medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

, and

Graduate Studies Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

. The Faculty of Law welcomed its first students in September 2013. Based on full-time undergraduate enrolment, the Social Sciences & Humanities is the largest faculty at Lakehead, with about 30% of the students, followed by Health and Behavioral Sciences, Science & Environmental Studies, Engineering, Education, and Business Administration. Two small faculties are Natural Resources Management and Medicine, each with less than 2% of the student enrolment.

Aboriginal

As a percentage of total student population, Lakehead University has one of the largest aboriginal student communities in Canada. The university has a governing board with senate policies along with Aboriginal-governed councils within its university governance structure. Lakehead also offers Aboriginal support including the Office of Aboriginal Initiatives. Special first-year bridging programs for Aboriginal students are provided. Tutoring services are available within Lakehead's Native Nursing Access Program. There is also the Superior Science Program which goes to remote Aboriginal communities. Lakehead has Canada's only Department of Aboriginal Education to foster Native Language instruction and prepare teachers to meet the needs of Aboriginal students and communities.

Scholarships and bursaries

Lakehead University scholarships for Aboriginal, First Nations and

Métis The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Canadian Prairies, Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United State ...

students include: Hamlin Family Fund Nursing Bursaries; Hamlin Family Fund Bursary; Hamlin Family Fund Native Bursary; Lakehead University Native Award; TBayTel Bursary Apart from these awards, Lakehead University provides entrance scholarships to high school students with marks above 80%, paid out during four years of undergraduate. Lakehead also offers free tuition to students with a 95% average or higher.

Student life

Lakehead University Student Union Lakehead University is a public research university with campuses in Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ontario, Canada. Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate programs, gr ...

, or LUSU, serves as a governing body for student-run clubs. Students can participate in various club activities, ranging from student government to multi-cultural and athletics. LUSU is also responsible for publishing ''The Argus'', the student newspaper, as well as running The Study Coffeehouse and The Outpost Pub, sites that often serve as gathering places for campus community activities and as performance venues.

Athletics

Lakehead's Thunder Bay campus has two main athletic facilities known as the Fieldhouse and the Hangar. The Fieldhouse contains a main gymnasium, weight room, yoga room, 50-meter swimming pool and change-room facilities. The Hangar has a 200-meter indoor track, soccer field, cardio area, aerobic studio and a climbing wall. Lakehead University is represented in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport league by the Lakehead Thunderwolves. Varsity teams include: Basketball, Cross-Country, Hockey, Nordic Skiing, Track & Field, Volleyball, and Wrestling. It also has club teams including, Men's Volleyball, men's and women's curling, and rowing.

Notable faculty

* Andrew Donald Booth, early computer scientist, President of Lakehead University from 1972 to 1978 * Kathleen Booth, early computer scientist, inventor of the first computer

assembly language In computer programming, assembly language (or assembler language, or symbolic machine code), often referred to simply as Assembly and commonly abbreviated as ASM or asm, is any low-level programming language with a very strong correspondence b ...

Christopher Mushquash Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρε ...

, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction *

Dave Siciliano Dave Siciliano (born July 1946) is a Canadian former ice hockey coach and player. He played university hockey for the Lakehead Nor'Westers, and led them to the International Collegiate Hockey Association championship as the most valuable play ...

, athletic director and coach of Lakehead Nor'Westers men's ice hockey from 1975 to 1980

Notable alumni

Shandor Alphonso Shandor Alphonso is a Canadian ice hockey linesman, currently working in the National Hockey League. He has worn sweater number 52 since joining the NHL prior to the start of the 2014-15 season. Playing career Alphonso was chosen in the 7th ro ...

- NHL Official *

Steve Ashton ''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen Notable people with the name include: steve jops * Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people * Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people * Steve ...

– Minister of Water Stewardship / MLA Thompson, Government of Manitoba *

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, Australian swimmer and coach * Melissa Coates - Professional Wrestler *

Ronald J. Duhamel Ronald J. Duhamel, (March 2, 1938 – September 30, 2002) was a Canadian Member of Parliament and Senator. Biography Ronald Duhamel was born in Saint Boniface, Manitoba, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Lakehead University and a ...

– former Member of Parliament, Senator *

Jim Foulds James Francis Foulds (born April 10, 1937) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a New Democratic member in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1987. Background Foulds was born in Port Arthur, Ontario (now Thunder Bay) ...

– former Ontario MPP *

Patty Hajdu Patricia A. Hajdu (; born November 3, 1966) is a Canadian politician who has served as the minister of Indigenous services since October 26, 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, she also serves as the member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Sup ...

- Member of Parliament, Thunder Bay - Superior North; and Minister * Bruce Hyer – former Member of Parliament – Thunder Bay Superior North * Anthony LeBlanc - Sports executive, former president, CEO, and alternate governor of the

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, former vice president of global sales for

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* Stephen Low –

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Film maker, Director *Kathleen Lynch - President, Confederation College * Eric Melillo - Canadian MP, Kenora Riding, who was elected at the age of 21, in 2019, immediately after finishing his BA. * Dusty Miller, OOnt - politician and first female mayor of the City of Thunder Bay. * Lyn McLeod, OOnt – Canadian Politician, former leader of the

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, former provincial Cabinet Minister (multiple portfolios) *

Roy Piovesana Roy Piovesana (born 1942 in Fort William (Thunder Bay), Ontario; died Jan. 20, 2020Obituary
Blake Funer ...

- archivist, historian, musician, teacher *

Gary Polonsky Ontario Tech University (OTU), also known as Ontario Tech, is a public research university located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is located on approximately of land in northern Oshawa, while its secondary satellite cam ...

– Founding President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ontario Institute of Technology * Michael Rapino –

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– CEO (parent company of

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) *

Diane Schoemperlen Diane Mavis Schoemperlen (born July 9, 1954) is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. Early life and education Schoemperlen was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and educated at Lakehead University. Career Schoemperlen's first novel, ''In the ...

– novelist *

David Shannon David Shannon (born October 5, 1959) is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. Shannon grew up in Spokane, Washington. He graduated from the Art Center College of Design and now lives in Los Angeles. In 1998 he won the Caldeco ...

, CM, OOnt - Canadian disability/human rights activist, lawyer, politician, actor, university lecturer, author, and adventurer *

, ice hockey coach and player * Jamie Sokalsky – President and CEO

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* Don Talbot - Australian swimming coach * Denis Turcotte – President & CEO, Algoma Steel * Dr. Asmia Vezina - President,

Algoma University Algoma University, commonly shortened to Algoma U or Algoma, is a public university with its main campus located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. With a particular focus on the needs of Northern Ontario, Algoma U is a teaching-focused and s ...

References

External links

Lakehead University Official SiteLakehead University – Orillia Campus Official SiteLakehead Thunderwolves Official Site
{{Authority control Educational institutions established in 1965 Forestry education Buildings and structures in Orillia Buildings and structures in Thunder Bay 1965 establishments in Ontario 1965 establishments in Canada Universities in Ontario