Governments of Canada and Alberta Announce Second Round of Funding for Post-Secondary Infrastructure in the Province

EDMONTON, Alberta, July 22, 2009 — The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, along with the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Labour, and the Honourable Doug Horner, Alberta Minister of Advanced Education and Technology, today announced investments totalling $113.2 million in funding for infrastructure projects at post-secondary institutions in Alberta.

The funding announced today is part of the second round of investments under the Knowledge Infrastructure Program and includes $40.7 million from the federal government and $72.5 million from the provincial government and other sources. It builds on the more than $348 million announced for projects in Alberta under the first round of funding in May.

“The Government of Canada is investing in innovation and infrastructure to promote employment, help our economy recover quickly and improve the quality of life of Canadians,” said Minister Clement. “These investments are creating jobs for people now, while providing the infrastructure these post-secondary institutions need for years to come.”

“Our government recognizes that scientific and technological innovation is fundamental to our economic and social progress,” said Minister Ambrose. “We must all work together to ensure that innovation becomes a true competitive advantage for Canada to get more ideas from the lab to the marketplace, to create new jobs and to build a stronger economy and a better future for all of us.”

“This funding continues to support Campus Alberta and the high-priority science, research and maintenance projects in our post-secondary system,” said Minister Horner. “Building Canada’s knowledge-based economy requires strategic investments that enable future and current students to realize their futures at world-class institutions with world-class facilities.”

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. 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.

One project at the University of Alberta is among those to receive funding today. The university will use the $22.5 million investment to renovate and renew the Chemical and Materials Engineering Building on the north campus.

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 about the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, including program criteria, application instructions and a list of the approved projects to date, please visit the Knowledge Infrastructure Program website.

Further information is also available on the Canada’s Economic Action Plan website.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Laryssa Waler
A/Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Tony Clement
Minister of Industry
613-995-9001

Media Relations
Industry Canada
613-943-2502

Jonah Mozeson
Office of Minister Ambrose
819-953-5646

Kevin Donnan
Communications
Alberta Advanced Education and Technology
780-427-0405

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July 24, 2009

Backgrounder
Knowledge Infrastructure Program

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 lifecycle 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.

Knowledge Infrastructure Program Investments in Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions

Through the second round of funding under the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, the federal government is investing $40.7 million in 19 projects at post-secondary institutions throughout Alberta. The Province of Alberta and others are providing an additional $72.5 million in funding for these projects, bringing the total value of projects supported by second-round funding to $113.2 million.

Nearly $162 million was provided for Alberta post-secondary institutions under the first round of the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, leveraging an additional $186.8 million from the province and other sources.

The following project at the University of Alberta is among those that will receive funding under the second round of the Knowledge Infrastructure Program in Alberta. For more information on the project, please contact the institution.

Institution	Project Description	Federal Contribution ($)	Provincial and Other Contribution ($)
University of Alberta	Renovation and Renewal of Chemical and Materials Engineering Building	$10 million	$12.5 million