An inspiring student leadership gift from the Lakehead University Student Union (LUSU) will unlock the next phase in Lakehead University's Orillia Campus expansion project.
The Lakehead University Student Union (LUSU) executive team was at the Orillia Campus on June 4 to announce a $400,000 commitment to Orillia Campus Expansion. Members of the new LUSU leadership team including (from left to right) Donkenny Ikeh, VP Advocacy; Dhanvi Gahlawat, VP Orillia; Farhan Yousaf, Executive Director; Brandon Rhéal Amyot, Governance and Advocacy Officer; Aliss Chavarri, President; and Felix Ikokwu, VP Operations, presented Dr. Gillian Siddall, Lakehead's President and Vice-Chancellor with the gift.
Announced Wednesday, June 4, the $400,000 gift reflects the student union's commitment to enhancing the student experience and fostering a thriving Lakehead Orillia campus community.
"We're proud to play a meaningful role in shaping a space where current and future students can learn, connect, and belong," said Aliss Chavarri, President of the Lakehead University Student Union, during the announcement. "This is more than just a financial commitment - it's an investment in the future of Lakehead Orillia and the surrounding region."
This historic commitment-the largest one-time gift from LUSU to the university-will support the next phase of planning for a new building on the Orillia Campus.
With a growth plan of 10 new programs and 3,500 learners by 2032, the university is committed to expanding the Orillia Campus to support a growing student body and academic community, increasing pathways and programming for local students to pursue well-paying careers that will set them up for a bright future in the communities they call home.
"Together, Lakehead University and LUSU are committing to Lakehead Orillia students-present and future," explained Dr. Gillian Siddall, President and Vice-Chancellor. "The strong, collaborative spirit and shared vision of Lakehead in Simcoe County is opening the door to an exciting future filled with opportunity and growth - for our university, our students, and our region."
The planned academic building will address long-standing needs for more accessible, functional, and student-centered spaces, including an Indigenous student centre, instructional spaces, a centralized student services hub, and a new home for LUSU with space for clubs, activities, and a resource centre to address food insecurity.
With students at the heart of their mission, LUSU is ensuring they will have the best on-campus experience through academic and social programming and opportunities, explained former VP-Orillia and LUSU's governance and advocacy officer Brandon Rhéal Amyot.
"Student experience encompasses all aspects of life at university, from academics to support services to campus life and extracurricular activities," they explained. "Students in Orillia have long wanted these exceptional experiences, and today we are giving them that and more! Today's gift wouldn't be possible without the advocacy and support of our past and present union student leadership and students."
Earlier this year, the university celebrated a $15 million commitment from the County of Simcoe to Lakehead's Orillia Campus expansion project. June 4's gift from LUSU brings the total raised to just over $15.4 million.
"Our partners believe in our mission to make exceptional education accessible, close to home," said Dr. Siddall. "This is a powerful reminder of how our work continues to inspire those around us and reinforces our role as a hub of innovation, education, and social impact in the region."
Lakehead's case for expansion is rooted in deep relationships throughout the region and confirmed by data that tells an inspiring story about community transformation. Since Lakehead arrived in 2006, there has been a 147% increase in university degree enrolment throughout the region - contributing to strengthening the economy, building up the local workforce and empowering people to be the architects of their lives.
Pictured (from left) are Michael den Haan, Vice President - University Advancement; Chancellor Dr. Rita Shelton Deverell; Cathy Tuckwell, Chair of Lakehead's Board of Governors; Dr. Gillian Siddall, Lakehead's President and Vice-Chancellor; Dhanvi Gahlawat, VP-Orillia, LUSU; Brandon Rhéal Amyot, Governance and Advocacy Officer, LUSU; Aliss Chavarri, President, LUSU; Dr. Linda Rodenburg, Principal Lakehead's Orillia campus; and Farhan Yousaf, Executive Director, LUSU.
An estimated 93% of Lakehead's domestic student population faces barriers to attending university, such as financial need or being the first generation in a family to pursue post-secondary education. Despite these barriers, and because of the exceptional level of support that Lakehead students receive, including hands-on experiential learning, Lakehead has the second-highest graduation rate among Ontario's primarily undergraduate universities, according to the Maclean's magazine 2025 annual university rankings.
