Investment in post-secondary infrastructure at cégeps and colleges on Montreal Island will support research and innovation

From: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

News Release

Funding of $21.25 million for improvements to research facilities

September 11, 2017 – Montréal, Quebec – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

David Lametti, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development—on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development—along with Hélène David, Quebec Minister of Higher Education, and Gaétan Barrette, Quebec Minister of Health and Social Services, today announced a significant investment to help equip young Quebecers with the quality post-secondary education that will enable them to achieve their goals.

The Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec are investing $21.13 million in projects amounting to $21.25 million at cégeps and colleges on Montreal Island. The funding will help the institutions provide their students with the training needed for the high-paying middle-class jobs of today and tomorrow.

Federal funding is allocated through the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, which will enhance and modernize research facilities on Canadian campuses and improve the environmental sustainability of these facilities.

The Government of Quebec’s contribution is part of the Québec Infrastructure Plan, which sets out investments in all sectors of the economy, including higher education.

Some 14 projects at 9 cégeps and colleges on Montreal Island will benefit from the funding announced today. These varied and far-ranging projects run the gamut from the establishment of a regional centre for research and training in simulated environments with patient simulators for health care learning to the creation of an animal health services centre. They will improve the post-secondary education available on Montreal Island and stimulate the local economy.

A total of $21.25 million is being invested in these projects:

  • The Government of Canada is providing $9.88 million.
  • The Government of Quebec is providing $11.24 million.
  • The institutions and other partners are providing $0.125 million.

In total, universities and colleges throughout Quebec will receive nearly $1.1 billion from the Government of Canada, the provincial government, the institutions themselves and private donors.

As a result of these investments in Quebec, students, professors and researchers will work in state-of-the-art facilities that advance the country’s best research. They will collaborate in specially designed spaces that support lifelong learning and skills training. They will work in close proximity with partners to turn discoveries into products or services. In the process, they will train for—and create—the high-value middle-class jobs of the future. And their discoveries will plant the seeds for the next generation of innovators.

Quotes

“This historic investment by the Government of Canada is a down payment on the government’s vision to position Canada as a global centre for innovation. That means making Canada a world leader in turning ideas into solutions, science into technologies, skills into middle-class jobs and start-up companies into global successes.”

– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

“The Government of Canada’s investments in projects like the ones at these cégeps and colleges on Montreal Island will create good, well-paying jobs that can help the middle class grow and prosper today, while also delivering sustained economic growth for years to come. Through the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, we are strengthening the foundation of Canada’s middle class and further establishing the country as a global centre for innovation.”

– David Lametti, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

“Our government will continue to invest time and money in our students’ success. Our commitment is clear: do everything possible to help our students and professors accomplish great things. We are making significant investments in the development of our higher education facilities, thereby ensuring that future generations have access to state-of-the-art infrastructure.”

 – Hélène David, Quebec Minister of Higher Education

“These investments show that it is important to us to provide the next generation of health care personnel with the best possible tools to help with their training. Our health and social services network must be able to rely on expertise that is constantly being upgraded, both in the clinical setting and in research. This process often begins in college, where many future careers in the health field are shaped.”

– Gaétan Barrette, Quebec Minister of Health and Social Services

“The projects receiving funding support the college and the community, not only from an educational and social perspective but also from an economic one. It would have been impossible to carry out all these projects without the support of the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec.”

– Stéphane Godbout, Director General, Collège de Rosemont

Quick Facts

  • The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, and the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced in December 2016 that the federal government would provide more than $385 million for research infrastructure at institutions throughout Quebec.

  • Philippe Couillard, Premier of Quebec, and Hélène David, Minister of Higher Education, also announced that the Government of Quebec would invest more than $345 million in research infrastructure at post-secondary institutions in Quebec.

  • Nine cégeps and colleges on Montreal Island have been awarded $9.88 million in federal funding under the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, as well as a contribution of $11.24 million from the Government of Quebec through the Québec Infrastructure Plan.

  • The targeted, short-term investments under the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund will promote economic activity across Canada and help Canada’s universities and colleges develop highly skilled workers, act as engines of discovery, and collaborate on innovations that help Canadian companies compete and grow internationally.

  • The Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund supports the Government of Canada’s climate change objectives by encouraging sustainable and green infrastructure projects.

  • Canada’s Innovation and Skills Plan is designed to ensure our country is globally competitive in promoting research, translating ideas into new products and services, accelerating business growth and propelling entrepreneurs from the start-up phase to international success.

Associated Links

Contacts

Follow Minister Bains on Twitter: @MinisterISED
Follow Minister David on Twitter: @David_Hlne

Karl W. Sasseville
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
343-291-2500

Thierry Bélair
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Higher Education
418-266-3255 

Media Relations
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
343-291-1777
ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca

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