UW's north campus: past, present and future

The north campus is an area of about 700 acres (a square mile) north of Columbia Street and the main campus -- home to a newly developed research and technology park (right, centred on the Sybase Inc. building) and to much more, including farms and several UW facilities. This aerial view looks northwest from above Phillip Street, with the railway track running left-to-right at bottom. The Optometry building and Columbia Icefield are at lower left, and the Columbia Lake Townhouses at top left. Hagey Boulevard runs across the centre of the view and Westmount Road near the top, just west of Columbia Lake.

About the R&T park

With 1.2 million square feet of office space for technology companies, Waterloo's new R&T park is expected to provide a significant economic boost to Waterloo Region and the province through increased local investment and employment for an estimated 6,000 people.

First step in the park construction, beginning in the summer of 2002, was the work of moving millions of cubic yards of earth. The first corporate tenant, Sybase Inc., opened its building in the fall of 2004, and a building for Open Text Corp. is under construction.

• Main R&T park web site
• Development Handbook and Guidelines (2002) (PDF)
• Research and Technology Park brochure (2001) (PDF)

An Environmental Reserve is being created in the central section of the north campus, between Westmount Road and the Research and Technology Park.

Background to the north campus

Acquired in 1963, the north campus remains largely occupied by farmland. North-south through the centre of the area runs Laurel Creek, opening into Columbia Lake just north of Columbia Street. The Trans-Canada Trail passes through the property along the Laurel Trail operated by the city of Waterloo in cooperation with UW.

Campus Master Plan (1992)

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Other facilities on the north campus

The purple New England aster is among wildflowers that grow in profusion on the north campus.

• Optometry building (School of Optometry)
• Columbia Recreation Complex arena (Columbia Icefield) and gymnasium, with adjacent playing fields and golf course
• Hildegard Marsden Co-operative Day Nursery Inc.
• Klemmer Farmnouse Co-operative Day Nursery Inc.
• Columbia Lake Townhouses
• Brubacher House Museum
• Weather station
• Plant operations greenhouses
• Bauer Warehouse (CKMS radio and plant operations department)
• Biology reserve, also used for recreation

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Chronology of north campus development plans

• January 22, 1997: UW reclaims its acreage
• April 22, 1997: Development teams considered
• October 30, 1997: Negotiations towards a memorandum
• June 11, 1998: Memorandum of agreement with the WatPark Consortium
• February 11, 1999: Progress continues
• September 20, 1999: Looking for locally based companies
• May 7, 2001: City council gives support to a revised proposal
• May 17, 2001: Waterloo Region adds its support
• November 7, 2001: UW welcomes funding from the Ontario government
• December 13, 2001: Ontario funding announced during campus visit
• December 18, 2001: Federal infrastructure funding announced
• April 2, 2002: Plan for Great Circle site plan presented to board of governors
• October 21, 2002: Open house about environmental reserve
• October 22, 2002: Names for main streets approved

 

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Communications and Public Affairs | University of Waterloo | 519.888.4567 | credmond@uwaterloo.ca