Though the acquisition of land tracts now part of the current campus began in 1947, it was only in 1952 that the College gained possession of the entire 150-acre property, a significant portion of which was donated by Harry Stevenson Southam, a prominent Ottawa business magnate. In March 1956, the College released a 75-year master plan for the development of the campus in stages, with the first stage costing an estimated $4.2 million, equivalent to $39 million in 2019 dollars, foreseeing the development of academic buildings, student residences, and athletic facilities on the new site.