Enjoy the view… from your classroom window.
Ah, Lakeshore.
It’s easy to get distracted by the lush lawns and the faint smell of the lake. You might romanticize the charm at first, when summer still hangs in the air. (As long as you don’t mind the wasps.)
But soon, questions start to pop up.
Why am I walking 15 minutes from one class to another? Why does every cottage look so similar? And where on earth is the library?
Worry not! I’m here to make you an expert campus wayfinder so you can get to your next class on time.
Let’s take a tour!
Start here: Welcome Centre
2 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr.
We’ll start easy: The Student Welcome and Resource Centre is your hub for student support.
Visit for:
- Student Wellness & Accessibility Centre
- Office of the Registrar
- Financial Aid Office
- Testing Centre
(Also featuring Starbucks.)
The core of campus: L Building
Keep walking down Samuel Smith Park Dr., and you’ll find the L Building. It sits in convenient proximity to the Tim Hortons, for that pre-class caffeine run.
Here, you can find the Learning Commons or grab a bite at the cafeteria (which even includes a Booster Juice!).
Tip: For a free and delicious lunch option, find the IGNITE Soupbar freezer on the second floor!
The cottages
Surrounding the L Building and scattered around the courtyard are the rustic brick buildings known as the cottages. Chances are, you’ve had a class in at least one of them.
Notable cottage locations include:
- H Building: Idea Lab (returning to G Building soon!)
- G Building: Longo Centre for Entrepreneurship
- F Building: Math & Writing Centre
Tip: Cottages can look fairly similar. Use the Campus Compass app to find yours!
From A to B
Cross the road in front of L Building and keep walking until you hit the A Building.
Don’t be intimidated by its size; it’s the home-base of many music students and Humber’s Cultural Hub, where you can find the Recital Hall (for all your Phantom of the Opera fantasies).
On the side of the building, you can also find a door leading to the gymnasium, where the real magic of drop-in sports happens.
And if you peep behind the A Building, you’ll find the next alphabetical progression: the B Building. If you’ve been here long enough, you might remember this being the old library location. (Hint: it’s now in the L Building.)
Tip: Give yourself extra time to get to your classes. A and B are a bit detached from the majority of campus. It can be a tough journey in the winter, when cold wind blows from the lake and tries to knock you over. But on the bright side, it gives you time to reconnect with nature before your next three-hour lecture!
Campus bookstore
3199 Lake Shore Blvd W
Tucked into the side of the red brick Residence Building is the campus bookstore.
Here, you can buy that pesky required reading, school merch or a teddy bear to keep you cozy and sane during exam season.
Fun fact: On my first-ever day of classes, I tried buying a textbook here, and my credit card declined.
Tip: Textbooks can be pricey. The IGNITE Bursary is here to help.
Media & Arts (Birmingham) Building
300 Birmingham St.
I’ve known students who weren’t even aware of this building until they had a class in it.
The Media & Arts Building is a 15-minute walk from campus. As the name implies, it’s a centre for media education. It also occasionally hosts workshops and events, like an escape room!
Fitness Centre
3246 Lake Shore Blvd W
Did somebody say free gym membership?
If too many hours of sitting are making you restless, try stretching your legs at the Fitness Centre. Hop on one of the machines or sign up for a class!
Tip: No need to sign up. You can get in with your Avro App – your gym membership is included in your tuition so be sure to take advantage!
Medical Centre
3170 Lake Shore Blvd W
You can find this one across the street from the Welcome Centre, and on the left of the Fashion Institute.
Visit to find the Unicare Pharmacy and certain business and elective classes.
IGNITE: K Building
Positioned right behind your trusty, on-campus Tim Hortons, is where you can find us!
Lakeshore is beautiful, but we’re dedicated to bettering your student experience in any way we can.
Drop in during our office hours to get some peace at the Zen Zone, mingle at events, or speak to our student advocates about what you’d like to see here on campus.
Locking in on campus? Find the ultimate study spot!
Feature photo by Alma Ariaz
