Toronto - Wilfrid Laurier University celebrated its growing presence in Toronto yesterday with the official opening of an office in the heart of the city's financial district.

More than 200 alumni, prominent guests, students, faculty and staff were on hand for a reception in which guest speaker David Miller, mayor of Toronto, thanked Laurier for strengthening its educational links with Canada's biggest city.

Miller specifically mentioned Laurier's weekend-format MBA program, which has operated in downtown Toronto for 11 years, and the 700 Laurier co-op students who work in the GTA each year.

Laurier's Toronto presence also includes more than 12,100 alumni who live in the GTA, and the 45 per cent of Laurier students who come from the GTA, as well as the 40-45 per cent of Laurier grads who go on to work in the area.

The reception audience also heard from guest speaker Deborah Newman, deputy minister for Ontario's Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universties, who brought greetings from the province and who also praised Laurier for extending its ties with Canada's largest city.

Laurier's Toronto office is located in a prominent ground-floor corner of the prestigious Exchange Tower at King and York streets.

At Tuesday's opening, Laurier President Dr. Max Blouw said the office will serve a practical function, supporting Laurier's co-op placements and partners, assisting the weekend-format MBA program, and providing a base of support for alumni relations, student recruitment and government relations. But he also said the prominent location of the office will help raise Laurier's profile in Canada's biggest city..

"While talking with alumni and other key stakeholders over the past couple of years, I heard repeatedly that Laurier is an underappreciated gem," he said. "That impression was reinforced by the results of polling that The Strategic Counsel did for us to better understand the perceptions that Ontarians and Canadians hold of Laurier - they characterize Laurier as a well-kept secret.

"This office, with its prominent and highly visible location at King and York, will help us to increase public awareness of our wonderful university."

The celebration events began at 9:30 a.m. with a Laurier delegation opening trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange, which is located across the foyer from the Laurier office. A reception was held later in the TMX Gallery, followed by an open house in the Laurier office.