Lakehead University recently broke ground at its new permanent Orillia campus where ORION is planning a new connection hub, able to link the campus and additional organizations to Ontario's high-capacity research and education network.

ORION, which already connects the temporary Orillia facilities to Lakehead's main campus in Thunder Bay, is now working with the university to extend advanced network links to the new campus, when completed.

Dignitaries gathered for the official groundbreaking of the $45-million academic building, the first of three buildings slated for Lakehead's new campus, on an 85-acre site donated by the City of Orillia.

"We look forward to working with Lakehead and the community to help derive the full benefits of advanced networks and next-generation technologies for research, teaching and learning," says Phil Baker, ORION's President and CEO. "We are proud to be part of this exciting future," he added.

Maxim Jean-Louis, chair of the ORION Board of Directors and President of Contact North/Contact Nord, notes that today's groundbreaking "sends a powerful signal about our confidence in the future and prosperity of the entire region. We commend all the partners who have come together to establish a vision and an anchor for economic development and innovation here in this community," he said.

Lakehead currently uses its ultra high-speed ORION connection to link Orillia staff, faculty and students back to its main campus in Thunder Bay, ensuring seamless connectivity between the two locations. It also provides its Orillia site with a direct, ultra high-capacity link to the world's top science, research and education networks, including Canada's CANARIE network, Internet2 in the US and other top networks in Asia, Europe and around the globe.

ORION is now working with Lakehead to establish enhanced connectivity to the permanent campus, including a state-of-the-art telecommunications Point-of-Presence (PoP). "This will make Orillia an important ORION hub for the entire region," said Baker.