From the President's Desk: October 2026

Celebrating the past, building for the future

Some celebrations are about more than marking a milestone. They’re an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come, recognize the people who helped us get here and look ahead to what’s possible.

That’s certainly how I felt as we celebrated the grand opening of Lakeland College’s renewed Newcombe N. Bentley Building earlier this month.

It was a wonderful occasion, bringing together students, employees, government representatives, community partners and friends of the college to celebrate a remarkable transformation. We were especially pleased to welcome members of Newcombe Bentley’s family, whose presence added a meaningful connection to the building’s history.

For more than 50 years, the Bentley Building has been part of the Lakeland experience. Although very little of the original structure remains following its extensive renewal, one remarkable piece of its history has been preserved: the original concrete floors.

Beautifully polished, they still bear the marks of decades of use, a reminder of the generations of students who walked those halls before. I love that this history remains part of a building designed for the future.

And what a future it promises!

The renewed building brings together specialized labs, modern interior design studios, collaborative learning spaces and the Otôtêmiwewin Student Lounge, creating an environment where our students can learn, connect and develop the practical skills they’ll carry into their careers.

The celebrations also included a delightful surprise before the official opening. Our longtime friends and supporters at Webb’s Machinery and New Holland donated a fleet of child-sized ride-on tractors for the building’s new natural playscape. Even better, children from the Webb family delivered the surprise themselves, driving the tractors into the playscape to the delight of our human services faculty.

It was a wonderful reminder of the generosity and community spirit that make Lakeland so special, and a fitting way to celebrate a space where future early childhood educators will develop their skills.

Of course, the renewed Bentley Building represents years of planning, collaboration and hard work. My sincere thanks go to our government and community partners, project teams, contractors, designers, faculty and staff, and everyone who helped bring this ambitious project to life.

As proud as I am of the building itself, I’m even more excited about what will happen inside it. The learning, creativity, collaboration and connections that will take place here are what make this investment so important.

When we invest in learning spaces, we invest in our students, our future workforce and the communities they will serve.

The Bentley Building has already been part of more than 50 years of Lakeland’s history. Now, with traces of that history still beneath our feet, we’re ready to see what the next generation will accomplish.

-Alice