CREDIT: EMMA BUTLER
Innovation Village will be open around Jan. 2024.

Fanshawe staff can now enter a lottery program to be among the first to see the still-under-construction Innovation Village in F Building on Fanshawe’s London Campus. The newly-renovated space will have several rooms for students to utilize for their studies, including collaborative work spaces, virtual reality and multimedia labs, a makerspace, project rooms, research support and cutting- edge equipment.

Annette Markvoort, Manager for Innovation Village, shared her thoughts about the project.

“The college felt it was important to provide fresh, new spaces to support student creativity, learning and exploration,” Markvoort said.


Innovation Village will be a physical and virtual hub where students will discover one-stop support and exceptional learning, according to Markvoort.

A description of the space on the Fanshawe College website reads as follows: “Innovation Village represents a commitment that has already begun and continues to grow. Through the new Signature Innovative Learning Experience (SILEx) and Job Skills for the Future models, students will continue to develop future skills and participate in highly experiential learning opportunities, working with organizations in our community. Fanshawe’s goal through Innovation Village is to create 500 new partnerships with external employers and organizations in the first three years. The Innovation Village will increase opportunities between Fanshawe and potential employers and employment agencies while providing support for entrepreneurs, start-up and scale-up companies.”

Marc Cantin, superintendent of D. Grant Construction Limited, who has been working on this project since 2021, shared how well the construction has been going in the Innovation Village.

“This has been a long process and there is still lots to do. There have been lots of good days, and when this is all finished it will be a huge weight off my shoulders,” Cantin said. “This project will bring lots of potential to students who are trying to achieve the best of their abilities.”

Also to come is a new performance space, hair salon and coffee shop. With all the new rooms, there will also be neutral bathrooms for anyone to use. The new library will be in the Innovation Village with brand-new elevators.

Cantin said he was pleased with the work that has been done and all the workers who have helped make the Innovation Village come together.

“I’ve been doing this for 35 years so nothing is going to stump me, there hasn’t been anything too difficult to deal with. We still have lots to do here but it will all come together nicely and be a great addition to the college,” Cantin said.