Milton Education Village: what it is, who is involved and what has been approved
The Milton Education Village is a planned 162-hectare district in west Milton built around Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College. Here is what its plan allows, what is approved and what has not been published, as of October 25, 2026.
The details
What it is
The Town of Milton describes the Milton Education Village (MEV) as a planned urban district that combines leading academic institutions, an integrated long-term care facility, outdoor recreation, views of the Niagara Escarpment and research and design facilities. It is a core part of the Town's long-term Milton 2051 vision. The Milton Education Village Secondary Plan sets the land uses and policies for the district.
- 162
- A mixed-use complete community of at least 22,000 people and jobs by 2051
- Planned to accommodate 2,900 knowledge-based jobs
- Two post-secondary institutions and a long-term care facility
- A main-street village centre, a neighbourhood centre, an elementary school, a high school, parks and a connected natural heritage and open space system
- Set in 2021 through Ministerial Zoning Order 476/21, according to the Town's March 2026 report DS-021-26
Who is involved
- The Town of Milton prepared the secondary plan and provides the land for Laurier's campus, according to Laurier.
- Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College, which received Ontario Government funding approval for a joint Milton campus in June 2021, according to the Town.
- Landowners and builders. A Town report from March 2026 lists Conestoga College and Mattamy (Brightpoint and Brownbridge) Homes as owners of about 38.7 hectares west of Tremaine Road.
- Schlegel Villages, which the Town's page lists as having a conditional foundation permit for phase 1 in 2022-23; the Town's March 2026 report refers to a newly constructed long-term care home north of those lands.
- Halton Region, which approved the secondary plan in 2024, and the Province, which approved the zoning order on June 17, 2021, according to the Town's March 2026 report.
What is approved, and when
Done: Early planning
The Town began assessing the lands in 2007; in 2016 the Province announced a new university-led site in Milton; Laurier, with Conestoga, submitted a proposal in March 2017.
Done: Secondary plan approved by Council
Council approved the Education Village Secondary Plan in December 2020 after a statutory public meeting that September.
Done: Funding and zoning
In June 2021 the Province announced funding approval for Laurier and Conestoga and issued a Ministerial Zoning Order for the district.
Done: Regional approval
On June 26, 2024 Halton Region issued a Notice of Decision approving the secondary plan, with modifications (Official Plan Amendment No. 62).
Done: Temporary campuses open
Conestoga's Parkhill Drive campus opened in January 2024 and Laurier's first Milton class started in September 2024.
Now: Applications and permanent campus
Development applications within the district are under Town review; neither the Town nor the institutions have published a construction schedule for the permanent campuses.
Where students study today
Laurier says its early Milton years are based in the Laurier Milton Academic Centre at 555 Industrial Drive, with Computer Science and Psychology as the first programs and Business Technology Management added in September 2025. Conestoga's Milton presence includes its Parkhill Drive campus at 8160 Parkhill Drive and, according to the Town, the Conestoga Centre of Excellence in Healthcare on Steeles Avenue, which opened in May 2024. Conestoga said in January 2024 that it had invested approximately $40 million in Milton and that further investments would go to student housing and the full realization of the Education Village.
What has not been published
Laurier states that its campus will develop in multiple phases over the years and that its timeline is subject to regulatory approvals. The Town's own status timeline on the Education Village page ends in 2024. As of October 25, 2026, MiltonIQ found no published construction start date or opening date for either institution's permanent campus, and no figure for the total public investment in the district. This page will not guess at them.
Applications inside the district
Builders and landowners file development applications within the secondary plan area, and each goes through the Town's usual process. A March 16, 2026 Council report (DS-021-26) described a public meeting on Official Plan and zoning amendments for about 38.7 hectares west of Tremaine Road; it asked Council only to receive the report for information, and a technical report with recommendations is to follow. MiltonIQ reports individual applications as the Town posts them.
How to follow it
- The Town's Milton Education Village page, which links the secondary plan and invites sign-up to its Milton Insider newsletter.
- Planning and Development Services at 905-878-7252 ext. 2398, for background staff reports, plans, studies and notices.
- Laurier's "Laurier in Milton" page and Conestoga's college news for each institution's own announcements.
Sources
Town of Milton
Milton Education VillageWilfrid Laurier University
Laurier in MiltonConestoga College
Conestoga will continue building for the future in Milton