Canada and Saskatchewan invest in post-secondary infrastructure

News Release

For Immediate Release

August 19, 2016 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

The Government of Canada values the role of post-secondary institutions as they help equip young Canadians with the education and training they need for future careers that will help them join a strong, healthy middle class. Today’s $33.1-million investment at the University of Saskatchewan, the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research, and Carlton Trail College will do just that by fostering the training needed for the well-paying middle-class jobs of today and tomorrow.

The funding was announced today by the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.

The Government of Canada’s Innovation Agenda aims to make this country a global centre for innovation—one that creates jobs, drives growth across all industries and improves the lives of all Canadians. This investment exemplifies that vision in action and will help create the well-paying middle-class jobs of tomorrow.

The University of Saskatchewan is receiving $32 million for three projects:

• $30.1 million for the construction of the university’s new Collaborative Science Research Building, which will focus on projects that have potential clean-technology applications, such as the development of more efficient bio-based energy systems and better water purification techniques, the breeding of more drought-tolerant crops, and the development of more sustainable pest-control mechanisms;
• $1.09 million for renewing research space and improving energy efficiency at the university’s St. Thomas More College; and
• $815,000 for building new infrastructure at the St. Peter’s College campus for biomass production, harvesting and processing, which will act as a model for future green technology projects. The Government of Saskatchewan is providing an additional $250,000 for this project.

The University of Saskatchewan and its federated college St. Thomas More College are contributing a total of  $37.2 million in funding for the Collaborative Science Research Building and the STM project.

In addition, the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research will receive $880,000 for an expansion that will provide additional space for skills training and adult basic education to the community of La Loche. The Institute is providing an additional $100,000 for this project.

Carlton Trail College has also been awarded $117,500 for renovations to its Punnichy facility so it can better meet the training needs of students in the area and help them meet future labour-market needs. The Government of Saskatchewan is also providing $117,500 for this project.

In total, universities and colleges throughout Saskatchewan will receive close to $137 million from the Government of Canada, the provincial government, the institutions themselves and private donors. Federal funding will be 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.

As a result of these investments, 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.

That is how the Strategic Investment Fund will jump-start a virtuous circle of innovation, creating the right conditions for long-term growth that will yield benefits for generations to come.

Quotes

“This once-in-a-generation investment by the Government of Canada is a historic 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 jobs and start-up companies into global successes. This investment will create conditions that are conducive to innovation and long-term growth, which will in turn keep the Canadian economy globally competitive.”

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

“Investments like these in Saskatchewan will position Canada as a global leader in research excellence and innovation. Through the Strategic Investment Fund, we are providing the next generation of Canadians with modern facilities where they can gain the training, the knowledge and the skills they will need to prosper.”

– The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

“Investments in the infrastructure of our post-secondary system help our students and support our economy, The projects being funded will generate direct economic activity in communities around Saskatchewan and improve the quality of facilities at the institutions for our students.”

– The Honourable Scott Moe, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Advanced Education

“This new infrastructure investment will advance exciting new collaborative research at the U of S that will help Canada address climate change and global challenges in food, water and energy security, while providing more than 600 construction jobs and $127 million in economic benefits for the country. Our colleagues at our federated and affiliated colleges are also grateful for the federal funding, which will enhance library research space at St. Thomas More College and create a regional hub for biomass research at St. Peter’s College.” 

– Dr. Peter Stoicheff, President, University of Saskatchewan

“St. Peter’s College greatly appreciates this outstanding support from the Government of Canada. With this innovative project, we will help create the next generation of professionals in the biomass industry. Through our partnership with industry and local and national governments, we can support better use of renewable resources, which is an important part of addressing climate change.”

– Al Hergott, Chair, St. Peter’s College Board of Governors

“The Government of Canada’s timely investment in St. Thomas More College represents a substantial and lasting contribution to our scholarly community. While ensuring energy efficiency, this financial support is particularly crucial in enabling significant enhancement of our research capabilities that will benefit students and senior academics for decades to come.”

– Dr.Terrence Downey, President, St. Thomas More College

“The Gabriel Dumont Institute has provided 445 adult basic education seats in La Loche since 2010. As a result of the federal funding, an improved and expanded GDI La Loche Centre will provide capacity for increased enrolment in employer-driven skills training programs, helping the Institute to fully meet its skills and training mandate in the community of La Loche.”

– Glenn Lafleur, Vice Chair, Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research

“With the growing training demands of the Punnichy area, the need for additional classroom space was great. This funding is being used to purchase a former church and renovate it into a training centre that can accommodate the educational needs of our students now and in the future. We are grateful for the support we have received from the federal Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, the provincial Preventative and Maintenance Renewal Fund and our other training partners, which will allow us to continue to deliver exceptional education and training programs in the Punnichy area.”

– Dr. Ivan Yackel, President and CEO, Carlton Trail College

Quick facts

• The Government of Canada is providing more than $63 million for research infrastructure at institutions across Saskatchewan. The University of Saskatchewan has been awarded $32 million for three projects, including one at St.Thomas More College and one at St. Peter’s College. The Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research will receive $880,000, while Carlton Trail College has been awarded $117,500.
• The Government of Canada’s Innovation Agenda is designed to ensure Canada 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.
• 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.

Associated links

• Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund website
• Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund backgrounder
• Innovation Agenda backgrounder

Follow Minister Bains on social media.

Twitter: @MinisterISED

Instagram: ministerised  

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Contacts

Philip Proulx
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
343-291-2500 

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