Minister Prentice announces Government of Canada investment for the Alberta college of art & design

August 13, 2009

CALGARY, Alberta - On behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Canada’s Minister of State for Science and Technology, the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Environment and Minister Responsible for Southern Alberta along with Parliamentary Secretary, Manmeet Bhullar, MLA Calgary Montrose, today announced a Knowledge Infrastructure Program investment of $1.7 million for the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) to improve infrastructure to the facilities heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC).

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 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 colleges and universities at the forefront of scientific advancement.

“At a time of economic uncertainty, our government is making a strong intervention to stimulate economic activity through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program,” said Minister Prentice. “This initiative to renew Canada’s college infrastructure will provide a significant short-term economic stimulus and put many people to work in Calgary.”

"The strategic investments under the Knowledge Infrastructure Program are making a positive impact and reach across the entire spectrum of Campus Alberta from graduate and research facilities, to trades and the arts," said Doug Horner, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. "The projects announced by our governments are strengthening the post-secondary system and the opportunities for generations of students in Alberta."
The Alberta College of Art and Design was awarded $850,000 from the Government of Canada and matching funds of $850,000 from the Alberta Government totaling $1.7 million towards ACAD’s infrastructure needs to continue to support the ability of the college to deliver advanced knowledge and skills training in areas of design and new media.

The Alberta College of Art and Design would especially like to thank the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Canada’s Minister of State for Science and Technology, the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Environment and Minister Responsible for Southern Alberta for his support at the federal level, and our own provincial Minister of Advanced Education and Technology Doug Horner.

“Thanks to this funding from both the Federal and Provincial Governments, we are able to make the infrastructure improvements that are so important to our current College facility", stated Lance Carlson, President and CEO of the Alberta College of Art + Design, " This work will help us create the best centre for cultural development and studio based post secondary education possible, and will improve the spaces in which we work, teach and learn here at ACAD.”

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 & 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-



Backgrounder

Knowledge Infrastructure Program
Alberta College of Art & Design

The Knowledge Infrastructure Program was introduced in Canada’s Economic Action Plan. It is a two-year, $2-billion economic stimulus measure to support infrastructure enhancement at post-secondary institutions across Canada.

The Program will provide 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 lifecycle and often does not adequately meet the needs of today’s research and teaching activities.

Today’s announcement outlined three post-secondary institutions in Calgary that met the eligible criteria under the Knowledge Infrastructure Program.

ACAD
ACAD will be making significant infrastructure improvements to the Heating, Air, Ventilation and Cooling system at the current College facility. Work on this project is scheduled to begin in June of 2010, and updates to the HVAC system within the College will make significant changes to the quality of air, humidity and ventilation in our building.

Knowledge infrastructure fund eligibility
Industry Canada will accept project proposals from provinces, territories and eligible post-secondary educational institutions. The Government of Quebec will work with colleges and universities in that province and notify the federal government of priority projects.

Projects will be 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 will also be 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.

College Component
The Program supports projects at colleges and other post-secondary institutions, including publicly funded polytechnic schools, institutes of technology and CEGEPs, which strengthen their institution’s ability to deliver advanced knowledge and skills training.