University of Guelph, Kemptville Campus

What University of Guelph, Kemptville Campus does

Kemptville Campus Education and Community Centre is a non-profit organization operating a 630+ acre publicly owned campus in Kemptville, Ontario, on lands acquired by the Municipality of North Grenville in 2018 from the former Kemptville Agricultural School. The organization runs a multi-use facility spanning 17 main buildings, nearly 200 acres of FSC-certified forest, a working sugar bush, greenhouses, a 26-plot community garden, sports fields, and indoor venues such as the WB George gymnasium and Parish Hall. Its core products fall into two categories: facility rentals (short-term event spaces and long-term office/storage/greenhouse leases) and educational programming, including skilled-trades apprenticeship training with the Upper Canada District School Board's TR Leger, an Agri-Food Business high-school course with CECCE/ACND, forest and nature school programs, school workshops on local food systems, and the Out to Play bilingual Forest and Nature School programs launched in April 2025.

The organization serves Eastern Ontario, with primary customer segments including educational institutions (school boards and individual schools), health and wellness organizations (the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit runs an on-campus service delivery site), local food system organizations, long-term commercial and nonprofit tenants, and event organizers. Its revenue model combines facility rental income (event and long-term lease fees), community garden plot rentals, and program-related fees, supplemented by grants such as the CAD 2.1M Skills Development Fund award announced in October 2024. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; rentals are quoted on inquiry. Go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven, relying on the campus website, email newsletter, Facebook, community events, and direct outreach by an Executive Director, Programs Manager, and Marketing and Events Coordinator team of under 10 staff.

The underlying 'technology' is the campus's physical and natural infrastructure — forests, wetlands, farmland, trails, greenhouses, and built facilities — rather than software. Value is created through curation of a multi-stakeholder community hub model, FSC-certified sustainable forest management, and ESG positioning that has earned external recognition including the 2023 Sustainability Star Award from Sustainable Eastern Ontario. Strategic direction under Executive Director Annie Hillis (appointed November 2024) emphasizes adaptive reuse, programming diversification, and partnership expansion, with material capacity to grow when CECCE leases end in 2027 and three additional buildings become available.

Name

University of Guelph, Kemptville Campus

Legal name

Kemptville Campus Education and Community Centre

Website

https://kemptvillecampus.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kemptville Campus Education and Community Centre is a non-profit operating a 630+ acre publicly owned campus in Kemptville, Ontario, offering facility rentals, skilled-trades apprenticeship training, forest and nature school programs, and community garden space to schools, public-sector tenants, and residents across Eastern Ontario.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Education and Facility Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (611710), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Adult Education (Municipal/Community Schools) (EDAAAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB), Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), Residential Education, Programming & Community Development (EDALACAC)

Keywords

• Community education services
• Facility rental services
• Skilled trades training
• Outdoor forest education
• Non-profit community hub

Headquarters

HQ city

Kemptville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Facility Rentals: Short-term rentals of rooms, gymnasiums, amphitheaters, meeting rooms, auditoriums, and outdoor spaces for events, conferences, and celebrations. Long-term rentals include storage, office, classroom, and greenhouse spaces.
2. Educational Programs: Revenue from educational programming including Agri-Food Business course, skilled trades training through TR Leger, and forest/nature school programs delivered in partnership with organizations like Out to Play
3. Community Garden Plots: Rental fees from community garden allotment plots to local residents and organizations

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kemptville Campus Education and Community Centre is a non-profit organization that operates a 630-acre historic publicly owned campus offering educational programming, facility rentals, and tenant services. It delivers skilled trades apprenticeship, agri-food business education, forest and nature school programs, and community workshops, while also renting short-term event spaces and long-term commercial spaces. The campus operates as a community hub serving education, health, and economic development needs across Eastern Ontario.

Product overview

Kemptville Campus Education and Community Centre is a non-profit educational and multi-use facility offering diverse programs and facility rentals across its 630-acre campus. The organization provides educational programs including the Community Garden, Agri-Food Business Course, Skilled Motive Power Trades Training (TR Leger), School Workshops on Local Food Systems, Forest School Programs, and Out to Play Forest and Nature School Programs. Additionally, the campus offers Room & Facility Rentals including the WB George gymnasium, Parish Hall, conference rooms, greenhouses, and various outdoor spaces for short-term and long-term leasing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kemptville Campus Community Garden An allotment-style community garden offering 26 plots for local residents and community organizations to grow their own food, managed by community volunteers and supported by the Campus.
• Agri-Food Business Course A high-school course in Agri-Food Business offered in partnership with CECCE and ACND, featuring monthly field trips to local farm businesses and a local food network directory website.
• Skilled Motive Power Trades Training (TR Leger) Apprenticeship training programs in motive power trades including Truck and Coach Technicians (310T), Agricultural Equipment Technicians (425A), and Heavy Equipment Technicians (421A), offered in partnership with Upper Canada District School Board's TR Leger School.
• School Workshops on Local Food Systems Half or full-day workshops for K-12 groups covering food systems, local food benefits, and hands-on projects including school gardens, composting, and growing plants.
• Forest School Programs Forest and Nature School programs connecting children to natural environments through outdoor play, including programs by École publique Rivière Rideau and North Grenville Learning Centre.
• Regional Agri-Food Events Partnership-hosted regional events including Eco Farm Day and Good Food in Schools Forum bringing together stakeholders in food and farming across Eastern Ontario.
• Room & Facility Rentals Short-term and long-term rental spaces including WB George gymnasium, Parish Hall amphitheaters, conference rooms, green space, sports fields, agroforestry building, storage, office, and greenhouse spaces.
• Out to Play Forest and Nature School Programs Bilingual Forest and Nature School programs for children, youth, and families offered in partnership with Out to Play, based in campus greenhouses and 360-acre forest.
• Nature Journaling North Grenville A year-long program inviting adults and kids to join monthly nature walks followed by hands-on art instruction to document observations, hosted at Kemptville Campus trails and greenhouses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sustainability Star Award 2023 from Sustainable Eastern Ontario recognizing environmental leadership
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Out to PlaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2025Out to Play, an established Forest and Nature School based in Ottawa, expanded to Kemptville Campus in April 2025. The collaboration introduces four bilingual programs (Fox, Wolf, Owl, and Family programs) for children, youth, and families. Out to Play uses campus greenhouses, adjacent classrooms, and 360-acre forest for outdoor learning activities including community sugar harvesting.
• Conseil des écoles catholique de centre-est (CECCE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer high-school Agri-Food Business course at Kemptville Campus. Students from multiple school boards participate, visiting local farm business owners through monthly field trips. Students created a local food network website covering approximately 100 km radius from Kemptville. Course content available in English and French.
• Upper Canada District School Board - TR LegercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2021 to deliver apprenticeship training in motive power trades. Programs train apprentices to become Truck and Coach Technicians (310T), Agricultural Equipment Technicians (425A), or Heavy Equipment Technicians (421A). In 2024, received $840,912 of $2.1 million Skills Development Fund to expand programs and train over 700 workers and youth.
• Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth Unit opened service delivery site at Kemptville Campus in March 2024 at 80 Shaver Crescent. Services include sexual health clinics, immunization clinics, infant feeding clinics, harm reduction services, preschool speech and language services, quit smoking services, and prenatal programs.
• Salvation Army - KemptvilleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Fill-A-Bag food drive campaign held at Bell Hall, a space donated by Kemptville Campus. Campaign collects non-perishable food and household items for individuals in need, with campus providing venue support.
• Municipality of North GrenvillecoreOthersCampus lands owned by Municipality of North Grenville since 2018. Municipality facilitates campus operations and supports various initiatives including Community Grants Program for community garden start-up funding. Public forum on coworking space held in partnership with Municipality.
• Foodcore Leeds Grenville LanarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-stakeholder working group committed to building healthy, sustainable, and inclusive local food systems. Co-led Good Food in Schools Forum at Kemptville Campus in April 2024, bringing together educators from five school boards, students, parents, and community food organizations.
• DUUO (by Co-operators)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance partnership offering short-term renters exclusive discounted rates on event liability insurance. DUUO by Co-operators provides event insurance naming both Kemptville Campus and Municipality of North Grenville as additional insured.
• Canadian Organic GrowersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to host Eco Farm Day 2024 at Kemptville Campus, welcoming nearly 200 participants from organic farming and food sector across Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec.
• Kemptville Horticultural SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided start-up funding for Kemptville Campus Community Garden project through Municipality of North Grenville's Community Grants Program.
• North Grenville Habitat GardenersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer group established through meetings on Campus, dedicated to learning about and planting native plants. Created native plant garden next to campus greenhouse to benefit pollinators and community garden.
• The Table Community Food CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Good Food in Schools Forum. Multi-stakeholder working group member along with Leeds Grenville Lanark District Health Unit and Kemptville Campus.
• Meredith Luce (Artist)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal artist and naturalist hosted nature journaling workshops on campus trails, facilitated by Campus Executive Director Annie Hillis. Participants took guided walks on campus trails followed by art instruction in campus greenhouse.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Humber Arboretum: Educational nature campus operated by Humber College with gardens, trails, and outdoor learning programs. Comparable as a publicly affiliated educational site leveraging natural assets for community programming and rentals.
• Evergreen Brick Works: Toronto-based community hub on a redeveloped industrial site offering educational programming, sustainability-focused events, and tenant partnerships. Highly comparable multi-use campus model with sustainability mission and rental/programming revenue mix.
• Kortright Centre for Conservation: Conservation area in Woodbridge, Ontario operated by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority offering sustainability education, trails, and event rentals. Similar mix of educational programming, outdoor facilities, and event-hosting revenue.
• Royal Botanical Gardens: Large natural-landscape educational campus in Hamilton/Burlington offering horticultural programming, events, and venue rentals. Comparable in operating educational programming on significant natural estate with mixed-use facilities.
• Macdonald Campus (McGill University): McGill's agricultural campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue offering hands-on farming, food systems, and environmental education. Closely comparable as a former agricultural college campus repurposed for community education and applied programming.
• UBC Farm: University-affiliated teaching and research farm at UBC delivering hands-on food systems, agri-food, and community education. Directly comparable in academic-affiliated agri-food education and community programming on a campus-style site.
• Canadian Ecology Centre: Outdoor and wilderness education center in Mattawa, Ontario delivering field-based environmental programming. Directly comparable as a non-profit educational site focused on forest-based learning and sustainability.
• Toronto Botanical Garden: Educational garden in Toronto offering horticultural workshops, school programs, and community events on publicly owned land. Comparable in delivering nature-based educational programming with sustainability focus.
• Haliburton Forest & Wildlife Reserve: Private 100,000-acre FSC-certified forest in Ontario offering outdoor education, recreation, and tourism programming. Comparable as an FSC-certified natural asset with educational programming and outdoor recreation focus.
• Black Creek Pioneer Village: Toronto-area heritage education site operated as a non-profit with immersive programming, school workshops, and event rentals. Comparable multi-use education site leveraging physical assets for programs and venue revenue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheKemptvilleCampus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kemptville-campus-education-and-community-centre

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Guelph, Kemptville Campus