University Of Ottawa To Get $80 Million From Canada And Ontario Governments To Build Eco-Friendly Building

Published: 25-May-2009

By: Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer

The University of Ottawa is to receive an $80 million in infrastructure funding from the Governments of Canada and Ontario. The investments will fund the construction of the Vanier Tower, a $112.5 million, 15 storey, eco-friendly building, as well as the renovation of the existing Vanier building. Of the total investment of $80 million, Canada will provide $30 million under the Knowledge Infrastructure Program and the Province of Ontario will provide $50 million in matching funds.

The Vanier Tower will provide 22,000 square metres of much-needed learning and research space, and will be the new home of the Faculty of Social Sciences including research space in priority areas such as neuroscience and experimental psychology, economics, public policy and management.

The University of Ottawa will contribute the remaining $32.5 million. The governments will not only strengthen the University of Ottawa's infrastructure but also stimulate much-needed economic activity in the region by creating 1100 jobs in the construction and manufacturing sectors during the next two years.

On behalf of the entire University community, I thank both governments sincerely for this important investment. It will make a world of difference in our ability to build the infrastructure our students and faculty need, said Allan Rock, President of the University of Ottawa. This investment is a major contribution towards our efforts to create a world class research and learning environment for both students and faculty.

Our government, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, is making important infrastructure investments across Canada, said John Baird, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. During this global recession, we're doing our part to help create jobs, stimulate the economy and prepare Canada for long-term prosperity.

Our government's investment in infrastructure projects with the post-secondary institutions of Ottawa will create hundreds of jobs and help boost our local economy, said the Honourable Madeleine Meilleur, MPP for Ottawa-Vanier. This investment will also help to build the strong reputations of our colleges and universities as well as attract new students, including Francophones, from across Canada and around the world.

In recent years, the University of Ottawa has experienced the rapid growth, with the student body increasing from 26,000 in 2002 to 36,000 in 2009. At the same time, the University of Ottawa has become one of the most research-intensive in Canada, ranking now as seventh out of the 50 research universities in the country. The funding will help meet the ever-increasing demand for learning and research space, and honour the commitments set out in the University of Ottawa Five-Year Facilities Renewal and Expansion Plan.

Construction on the proposed project is scheduled to begin in July 2009 and is expected to be completed by April 2011. The building is projected to be at least 50% more energy efficient than the current national standard for energy efficiency and is designed to achieve a GOLD certification in the LEED program.

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