KITCHENER, Ontario, June 12, 2009 - The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), Harold Albrecht, Member of Parliament for Kitchener–Conestoga, and Leeanna Pendergast, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kitchener–Conestoga, today announced a Knowledge Infrastructure Program investment of just over $13 million for Conestoga College.
The College will use the funding to expand its School of Health & Life Sciences and Community Services by 75 000 square feet. This will allow it to double enrolment from 1400 to 2800 full-time students and deliver 18 new programs to future nurses and health informatics, respiratory, optometry and pharmacy technicians in a modern health care setting.
This investment is part of the federal government's two-year $2-billion plan to repair and expand research and educational facilities at Canadian colleges and universities. The 2009 Ontario Budget invested $780 million in infrastructure projects in the province's colleges and universities. Together, these programs are helping to provide economic stimulus and promote employment by creating jobs for engineers, architects, tradespeople and technicians.
"This investment will provide significant short-term economic stimulus in the Kitchener region, while at the same time strengthening Canada's long-term capacity for research and innovation," said Minister of State Goodyear. "The renewal of college and university facilities will encourage more world-class researchers to work in Canada and give them the tools they need to make more discoveries that will benefit Canadians and people around the world."
"The Knowledge Infrastructure Program provides an opportunity for effective partnerships between the provincial and federal governments during this time of economic crisis," said Mr. Albrecht. "The Government of Canada is investing in innovation to create jobs, to help our economy recover quickly and to improve the quality of life of Canadians."
"This funding will meet our community's needs in a variety of ways. It will create jobs and provide the necessary training, which will ensure that Ontario's health care system remains among the best in the world for years to come," said Ms. Pendergast.
The funding announced today for the project includes nearly $5.9 million from the Government of Canada and nearly $7.2 million from the Government of Ontario. In addition, close to $10.8 million is being provided from other partners, including the college itself.
Canada's Economic Action Plan sets out to stimulate the Canadian economy over the next two years and to improve our long-term competitiveness through $12 billion in new infrastructure investment, which includes the $2-billion Knowledge Infrastructure Program. This new support is the next substantive investment in the Government of Canada's multi-year Science and Technology Strategy, Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage.
For more information about the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, including program criteria and application instructions, please visit www.ic.gc.ca/knowledge-infrastructure.
For information on Canada's Economic Action Plan, please visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
For more information on the 2009 Ontario Budget, please visit www.fin.gov.on.ca/english/budget/ontariobudgets/2009.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Gary Toft
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear
Minister of State (Science and Technology)
613-943-7599
Media Relations
Industry Canada
613-943-2502
Peter McGough
Office of Leeanna Pendergast
Member of Provincial Parliament for Kitchener–Conestoga
519-571-3276
The Knowledge Infrastructure Program is a two-year $2-billion economic stimulus measure to support infrastructure enhancement at post-secondary institutions across Canada.
The Program provides funding to support deferred maintenance, repair and expansion projects at universities and colleges, and responds directly to the need indicated by post-secondary institutions to improve existing campus infrastructure across the country. A major portion of this infrastructure is near the end of its projected life cycle and, in many cases, does not adequately meet the needs of today's research and teaching activities.
The Program has two components. The university component gives preference to projects that can improve the quality of research and development at the institution. The college component supports projects at other post-secondary institutions, such as colleges, publicly funded polytechnic schools and institutes of technology, which will strengthen their ability to deliver advanced knowledge and skills training.
Projects are assessed according to their ability to quickly and effectively generate economic activity and support job creation. Project readiness and economic impact are, therefore, key criteria used in project selection. Projects are also assessed on their ability to enhance research capacity, support the attraction of new students and provide a better educational experience for the highly skilled workers of tomorrow.
The Program will not only generate economic benefits and support job creation, but will also have an important positive net impact on the environment by reducing energy use, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving waste management at universities and colleges across Canada.
Through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, the federal government is investing over $5.8 million for a project at Conestoga College. The Province of Ontario is providing more than $7.1 million for the project, and an additional $10.7 million is being provided by other partners, including the college itself.
For more information about the project, please contact Conestoga College.
