Odeon Building to serve as community facility thanks to partnership agreement between Wilfrid Laurier University and City of Brantford

Oct. 13, 2026
For Immediate Release

BRANTFORD – Longtime partners the City of Brantford and Wilfrid Laurier University have entered into an agreement that will see the Odeon Building (50 Market St.) become a community-operated facility. The municipality will lease the Odeon from the university at no charge starting on Nov. 1, 2026 and plans to use the 21,000 square foot building to support community and cultural activity in the downtown core.

The agreement will provide valuable community space, enhance vibrancy and align with the city’s Downtown Revitalization plans. The agreement also supports Laurier’s ongoing strategic space planning by concentrating more student and academic activities at One Market (1 Market St.) and the Research and Academic Centre (150 Dalhousie St.). Since 2019, Laurier has made significant enhancements through incremental renovations in One Market, including the creation of a Student Commons space, the addition of a Senate and Board Chamber and the opening of Students’ Union-operated Belmont Restaurant. The building also hosts a number of public events, including MarketFest, a showcase of Indigenous artisans, and the Purple and Gold Party, held as part of the City of Brantford’s WinterFest.

Originally constructed as a cinema in the 1940s, the Odeon was converted to post-secondary academic and administrative space in 2004, one of many examples of new life being brought to existing buildings at Laurier’s Brantford campus. As the campus continues to grow and evolve, Laurier providing the Odeon space at no charge for community use is a full-circle moment. Laurier’s Brantford campus began in 1999 in the Carnegie Building thanks to generous community support. The university turning space over to the community for broader public use speaks to how much the campus and community have grown together.

“The Odeon is a special building with a long history, and we are excited to be able to bring it into the city’s portfolio of community assets,” said Nicole Wilmot, commissioner of community development for the City of Brantford. “Over the coming months staff will develop a fulsome business plan for city council’s consideration to define uses for this Brantford landmark.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the City of Brantford on this agreement,” said Debbie Martin, vice-president: finance and administration at Wilfrid Laurier University. “Laurier remains committed to strategic growth and investment in Brantford. This collaborative partnership supports the vision for the city’s core, bringing more exciting activities downtown and maximizing public infrastructure to create positive economic, social and cultural impacts that benefit everyone.”