ARVIAT, Nunavut, September 23, 2009 — The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), along with the Honourable Daniel Shewchuk, Nunavut Minister of Environment, Minister of Human Resources and Minister responsible for the Nunavut Arctic College, today announced funding of more than $4.9 million for infrastructure investments at Nunavut Arctic College campuses and community learning centres.
“Our government's investment will create jobs in these communities today and strengthen Nunavut's capacity for education and innovation for the future,” said Minister Aglukkaq. “Renewing college facilities will ensure that students receive the training they need and that Nunavut Arctic College will be able to attract, train and retain highly skilled workers.”
As part of Canada's Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada introduced the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, a two-year $2-billion economic stimulus measure to support infrastructure enhancement at Canadian post-secondary institutions, including community colleges and universities. Today's announcement celebrates the projects that qualify under the program in Nunavut.
The program is helping to provide economic stimulus and promote employment by creating jobs for engineers, architects, tradespeople and technicians. It is also helping to generate the advanced technological infrastructure needed to keep Canada's research and educational facilities at the forefront of scientific advancement.
The investment announced today includes $2.2 million from the federal government and $2.76 million from the territorial government.
“This joint investment will allow the Government of Nunavut to move forward with the Cyber Infrastructure Project, a communication network that will make online learning and research accessible to Nunavummiut in all 25 communities,” said Minister Shewchuk. “This technology will allow Nunavummiut to explore a vast number of educational opportunities in their home community.”
“We are expanding our ability to deliver more programs and courses in our communities, using technologies that until now were not accessible to us. The opportunities created by this investment will revolutionize the way we learn, and teach, in Nunavut,” said Mike Shouldice, Acting President of Nunavut Arctic College.
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, visit the Knowledge Infrastructure Program website or Canada's Economic Action Plan website .
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
Teresa Hughes
Executive Assistant to Honourable Daniel Shewchuk
Minister Responsible for the Nunavut Arctic College
867-975-5024
867-975-5044 (fax)
thughes@gov.nu.ca
Jamie Bell
Public Affairs Officer
Nunavut Arctic College
Box 230
Arviat NU X0C 0E0
867-857-8625
Jamie.bell@arcticcollege.ca
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 $2.2 million for infrastructure improvements at Nunavut Arctic College. The Government of Nunavut is providing an additional $2.76 million in funding for the college.
For more information about the project, please contact the college.
