TIMMINS, ON: As its campus communities continue to feel strain on housing availability, Northern College is taking steps to help students secure housing options in Kirkland Lake.

Northern College recently purchased a 6,000 square foot apartment complex in Kirkland Lake, which will house 13 rental units made available exclusively to students.

“The ability for students to locate affordable accommodations is continuing to play a role in their decision to pursue post-secondary education,” stated Mitch Dumas, acting President & CEO of Northern College. “Northern last owned and operated a traditional residence facility in Kirkland Lake in the early 2000’s. Up until recently, local rental units have met the demand, but this has shifted in the past couple of years and this investment is representative of our broader approach to further support our students.”

The building will undergo renovations to convert formal medical clinic space into 3 new multi-bedroom units to increase overall occupancy and better serve future student tenants, with work beginning on the lower floor units as soon as a contractor can be secured by Northern.

The new units will accommodate a two, two-bedroom units and a single three-bedroom layout. One of the two-bedroom units will meet barrier free accessibility requirements to accommodate students of different abilities.

The building currently has tenants in several units and Northern will not displace those existing tenants,” stated Susan Hunter, Chief Cultural Officer for Northern. “These units will receive the same upgrades as the units set aside for students and as those tenants vacate, more openings will be available to students in the years to come.”

Northern College is proud to take this step towards providing those students attending its Kirkland Lake Campus with reliable housing availability as they undertake their studies with us.

“We are committed to student success in every aspect of student life,” stated Dumas. “This doesn’t end in the classroom or on our campuses, it includes foundational student needs like housing and employment.”