New Bachelor of Community Planning program at Nipissing University – Ontario Investing Over $2.8 Million to Train More Community Planners for Northern Ontario – Education News Canada
June 15, 2026
The Ontario government is investing over $2.8 million to launch a new Bachelor of Community Planning program at Nipissing University to train more community planners, with a unique focus on small and mid-sized communities, northern regions and Indigenous communities. To support the government’s plan to protect Ontario, the province is making strategic investments to help students prepare for successful careers and good-paying, in-demand jobs that are needed to drive prosperity in communities across the province.
“Northern Ontario is central to our province’s economic advantage, and we need the highly skilled planners to support strong, resilient northern communities,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “By investing in the next generation of planning professionals for the North, our government is ensuring this region has the homegrown talent it needs to build more homes, highways, hospitals and other critical infrastructure we need to thrive.”
The investment will support the development of Nipissing’s new Bachelor of Community Planning program, which is expected to welcome its first cohort of students in Fall 2027. In addition, the program will also receive an investment of nearly $190,000 to fund 60 seats, as part of the government’s $75 million investment in Budget 2025 to train 7,800 more students for in-demand jobs in construction and planning.
