A Growing Orillia- What to Do?
In 2006, Lakehead University decided to expand their community from Thunder Bay to Orillia. In the beginning, it was only the Heritage Place campus in downtown Orillia that was active and only 120 students were enrolled at Lakehead Orillia. Later, in 2010, Simcoe Hall came to be and close to 1,000 students were enrolled. Starting this year, the number stands closer to 2000 students according to Meghan Vella, Lakehead Orillia’s Student Success Centre Assistant. Despite the immense growth in the city, Orillia is still smaller than most other Universities. Nonetheless, Orillia as a city has been growing, which means more opportunities for Lakehead Orillia students!
Recently, a new recreation centre has opened in downtown Orillia called “Orillia Recreation Centre” (ORC) on 255 West Street St. Some popular amenities at the recreation centre include the aquatic centre that includes an eight-lane 25 metre pool, a gymnasium that splits into two full size FIBA (International Basketball Federation) courts, and a 5,000 sq. foot fitness centre that includes a variety of different weight and cardio equipment! Want to hear some great news? Lakehead Orillia students have full access to all amenities for free with the Fun Pass from September 2022 to August 2023! Students must bring their student card and a valid piece of photo identification to the reception desk at the ORC during their first visit to get registered with the Fun Pass before being able to access all of the amenities. As you can see, the Orillia Recreation Centre caters to many people's interests: play sports, swim, or get into a new gym routine!
If you are like me, and love exploring new places to discover new food, or if you are just looking for a bite to eat after class, some restaurants that have caught the attention of Lakehead students throughout my five years enrolled at Lakehead are: Rustica (a great pizza joint!), Studabakers (has a great variety!), and my personal favourite: Couchiching Craft Brewing Co., which has live music playing almost every night (if you are into that kind of thing). All of these places are located in the downtown core of Orillia near the water, so you can always walk by the water afterwards.
For some of you, Orillia is brand new and I encourage you to discover your community as much as you can. Ultimately, it will make your time at Lakehead an even more enjoyable experience! There are an abundance of indoor/outdoor activity options beyond what I have mentioned in this article (Tudhope Park and the Roller Skating Place are some other examples). For even more examples, click here. Before you think to yourself, “ugh, Orillia is so small, why’d I go to school here? I have nothing to do!” Think again. Enjoy the nice weather while it is here, take advantage of what the city of Orillia/Lakehead Orillia has to offer!