2005 News Releases
September 15, 2005University of Lethbridge gets $12 million to expand water research facility
Province also provides $5 million for ventilation upgrades
Lethbridge... With new funding from the Alberta government, the University of Lethbridge is poised to become a leader in water-related research and education in North America. Advanced Education and Technology Minister Dave Hancock announced that the University of Lethbridge will be receiving $12 million in capital funding to help expand its Water and Environmental Science Building.
"This project is a significant expansion and will position the University of Lethbridge as one of the world's leading institutions in water research," said Hancock. "The university has already made significant investments in water research, and combined with this expansion, it will be able to attract even more world-class researchers, professors and students."
With construction planned to be completed in mid-2007, the building will provide both laboratory and office space for investigators, and research and education programs for the university's research teams. It will also allow more space for graduate and undergraduate students.
"This is an exciting announcement for the University of Lethbridge, and an important investment in developing the expertise that will preserve and protect Alberta's future water supplies," said Dr. Lyle Oberg, Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation. "The U of L is already playing a major role in water research with Israel - the benefits of which will be shared with countries throughout the Third World - and this investment will serve to enhance its research capacity even further."
When construction is complete, the new building will become the administrative centre for the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research. The Centre is a collaboration between the University of Lethbridge, the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary, and through its various research projects and initiatives is a large supporter of the provincial water strategy, Water for Life: Alberta's Strategy for Sustainability.
The province is also providing $5 million to the University of Lethbridge for several upgrading projects to University Hall, such as installing sprinklers, improving boiler room structure and improving the air circulation system.
The funding for both projects comes as a result of the Alberta government's First-Quarter Fiscal Update on August 29.
"The U of L has made significant commitments to water and environmental science research. This funding from Advanced Education and Technology will allow us to create a research and training environment that will allow us to increase the impact of our research and provide many unique opportunities for students, at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The facility will provide state of the art infrastructure for our world class research team in the highest research priority area for Albertans," said University of Lethbridge President, Dr. Bill Cade.
A total of $614 million has been allocated for Alberta's post-secondary institutions under the Government of Alberta's 2005-08 Capital Plan, an increase of $145 million since Budget 2005 was announced in April.
Backgrounder
Quick facts - Capital funding for post-secondary institutions
- The province's 2005-08 capital plan includes $614 million for post-secondary institutions. This includes new funding of $145 million over three years for additional projects, announced on August 29.
- The funding will also support a number of maintenance projects at post-secondary institutions throughout the province.
- $30 million of the $145 million is designated for maintenance projects.
- The Alberta government also identified funding for select infrastructure maintenance projects which address urgent preservation projects throughout the post-secondary system. Projects selected will include those that relate to health and life safety issues, and those necessary to avoid serious program delivery disruption.
