MOU reinforces further collaboration between City of Orillia, Lakehead University

(Pictured) Lakehead University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Moira McPherson with City of Orillia Mayor Steve Clarke at the Memorandum of Understanding signing event in Orillia Council Chamber on June 5, 2019.

For immediate release (June 5, 2019) – The City of Orillia and Lakehead University have formalized their long-standing relationship with a commitment to ongoing collaboration.

Earlier today, City of Orillia Mayor Steve Clarke and Dr. Moira McPherson, President and Vice-Chancellor of Lakehead University, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines the ways that the City of Orillia and Lakehead University will leverage existing and future relationships in order to achieve commons goals.

“The City of Orillia and Lakehead University have a well-established, positive relationship that is further reinforced through this MOU,” said Mayor Clarke. “Formalizing this relationship enshrines our joint commitment to identify and pursue strategic opportunities for collaboration, partnerships, innovation and incubation. We look forward to the many positive impacts this continued collaboration will have on the Orillia community and broader region.” 

Lakehead University is an economic driver for the city with 82 full-time staff and faculty and 1,350 students who live, work, shop and give back to the community. The University is also home to a wealth of human capital that can help strengthen the community by finding solutions to societal challenges and concerns.

“The people and City of Orillia have worked with Lakehead University to create post-secondary opportunities for this region even before we broke ground and opened our doors in Orillia,” explained Dr. McPherson. “This MOU formalizes our mutual desire to collaborate further and establish a strong and active partnership that benefits students, faculty, the business community and residents.”

Areas of possible collaboration between the City and University are outlined in the MOU – from policy development to funding opportunities and entrepreneurship, to international engagement and advocacy with other levels of government. This MOU formalizes and gives momentum to the pursuit of these cooperative efforts and initiatives. 

Orillia Council ratified the approval of the MOU with Lakehead University at its meeting on Monday, June 3, 2019.

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City of Orillia
The City of Orillia is a city of 31,000 people in the heart of Ontario’s Lake Country on the shores of Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Visit our website at orillia.ca.

Lakehead University
Lakehead University has approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and 2,000 faculty and staff in 10 faculties at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead is a fully comprehensive university: home to Ontario’s newest Faculty of Law in 44 years, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and faculties of Engineering, Business Administration, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Social Sciences & Humanities, Science & Environmental Studies, Natural Resources Management, Education, and Graduate Studies. Maclean’s 2019 University Rankings place Lakehead University among Canada's Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities and in 2018 Research Infosource named Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year. Visit lakeheadu.ca.