February 22, 2012
Burnaby, British Columbia
"Our Government is committed to a strong, sustainable western Canadian building sector," said Andrew Saxton, Member of Parliament for North Vancouver and Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification (WD). "These new resources will deepen BCIT’s research capacity, while creating jobs and growth by strengthening the long-term competitiveness of local companies."
With more than $530,000 in WD funding, BCIT will improve its Building Science Centre of Excellence, a leading applied research facility that works with industry to develop and test new building materials, assemblies and designs. New and expanded labs at the centre will be used for applied research to improve building performance, building envelope design, and to commercialize new products and technologies in the construction sector. These improvements will result in more affordable, durable, and energy-efficient buildings in Western Canada and beyond.
"BCIT and the School of Construction and the Environment is grateful for Western Economic Diversification Canada’s federal funding support," said Paul Dangerfield, VP of Education at BCIT. "With this funding, BCIT can continue to improve the Building Science Centre of Excellence, allowing us to conduct leading-edge applied research. It will also aid in our ability to train highly qualified building technology students and personnel within various areas of the construction industry."
"The British Columbia Building Envelope Council (BCBEC) is very appreciative of the federal support Western Economic Diversification Canada has provided to Building Science programs at BCIT," said Jason Teetaert, VP of Business Development at Structure Monitoring Technology: Business Intelligence. "This support provides important education, research and innovation advancements in building envelope research and development and vastly improved sustainability."
Western Economic Diversification Canada works with the provinces, industry associations and communities to promote the development and persification of the western economy, coordinates federal economic activities in the West and advances the interests of western Canadians in national decision making.
For additional information, contact (media only):
Jaime Burke
Regional Communications Manager - British Columbia
Western Economic Diversification Canada
604-666-1318
Christina Minton
Media Relations Coordinator
British Columbia Institute of Technology
778-928-2244
WD Toll-Free Number:1-888-338-WEST (9378)
Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-877-303-3388
WD Website: www.wd-deo.gc.ca.
Subscribe to news releases and keep up-to-date on the latest from WD.
