University of Guelph-Humber cancels Brampton relocation talks

The University of Guelph-Humber (UofGH) has officially pulled out of relocating its campus to Brampton’s proposed Centre For Innovation.

A UofGH spokesperson confirmed on Thursday (Oct. 6) that the university is withdrawing from discussions with the City of Brampton on relocation from Etobicoke to Brampton’s planned Centre for Innovation (CFI).

UofGH says it raised concerns to Council in March over “space constraints” at the centre.

In a letter to the City obtained by insauga.com, the university says the decision to end discussions with the city was made “due to space constraint issues…that have not been resolved” at the CFI.

“Additionally, the timing of the construction of the planned CFI has yet to be confirmed,” the university said in a statement. “This uncertainty creates a challenge when building a robust student recruitment plan.”

Plans for the CFI have been in the works since 2018.

Located in the downtown core at 21 Nelson St. West, the proposed 256,000-square-foot centre is planned to support future agreements with post-secondary institutions, such as Algoma University and Toronto Metropolitan University.

Councillors heard an update from UofGH in May about possible plans to relocate its campus from Etobicoke to Brampton.

The university said the school could have brought more than 5,000 students to Brampton, add $94 million to the city’s GDP annually, and generate another $64 million in labour income every year.

In its decision, UofGH thanked Mayor Patrick Brown, Council and City staff for their interest in bringing the university to Brampton.

“We respect Guelph-Humber’s need to address their space shortages expeditiously,” Mayor Brown said in a statement to insauga.com.