Boreal College
Advisory
A decade of trusted guidance, and a campus like no other
The deepest advisory relationships are measured in years, not transactions.
For over a decade, Aura has served as the trusted real estate advisor to Collège Boréal, Ontario's preeminent francophone college, guiding its decisions across South Western Ontario. From Toronto and the GTA to London and Barrie, Aura has led the College through complex acquisition and lease mandates that have shaped its physical footprint province-wide.
The defining moment of the partnership came with a 100,000 sq ft Toronto campus search. A francophone institution needed more than just a campus; it needed a home that matched its identity and gave it an edge in recruiting students and faculty in a competitive market. Aura led the College through the search to an unconventional answer: anchor tenancy in the historic Distillery District.
The result placed Boréal in one of Toronto's most distinctive landmarks — a recruiting and branding asset no glass tower could replicate, and one later recognized as a case study within the Ontario college system.
The deal: 250,000 sq ft across multiple transactions
Highlights
Led campus site selection by leveraging the College's institutional covenant strength, unlocking a design-build opportunity for a new state-of-the-art campus
Conducted market analysis across South Western Ontario to position satellite campuses
Provided acquisition analysis and transaction support at every stage
What we did
Lease-versus-buy analysis · acquisitions · site selection · lease negotiation