For Immediate Release
Date: September 11, 2009
ORAZIETTI ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF CONSTRUCTION ON $16 MILLION BIOSCIENCES CENTRE AT ALGOMA UNIVERSITY
McGuinty Government Stimulus Funding Will Help Create 160 New Jobs and Boost Local Economy
Sault Ste. Marie - David Orazietti, MPP joined school representatives and students today to celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony of the Biosciences and Technologies Convergence Centre at Algoma University that received equal federal and provincial funding totalling $16 million through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program and Ontario’s 2009 Budget.
"This new Biosciences Centre will further enhance the research capacity of Algoma University while strengthening our community's ability to attract and retain talented workers," said Orazietti. "Our government's investment in post-secondary education will provide local students with a state-of-the-art learning environment and stimulate Sault Ste. Marie's economy by creating 160 new jobs."
The Biosciences and Technology Convergence Centre will bring together teaching, research and commercial activities in a dynamic atmosphere to foster innovation and growth. Along with teaching and faculty research labs, established enterprises like the internationally-recognized Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre will anchor the facility. Another tenant will be the newly-launched Algoma Games for Health, a design studio bringing computer games technology to the delivery of health care and rehabilitation services. Algoma Games for Health will provide research and development expertise to for-profit and non-profit organizations.
In total, the governments of Canada and Ontario are investing $1.5 billion in 49 projects at Ontario’s colleges and universities, through the joint federal-provincial Knowledge Infrastructure Program (KIP) and the 2009 Ontario Budget. While the federal government and the provincial government have supported stimulus funding initiatives, which are resulting in many new projects moving forward in Sault Ste. Marie, it is unfortunate that the NDP voted against the stimulus programs that are helping our community overcome the challenges of a global recession.
The Government of Ontario, in its 2009 Budget Confronting the Challenge: Building Ontario’s Economic Future, is committed to investing in infrastructure, and has designated $780 million to colleges and universities to modernize facilities and boost long-term research and skills training capacity over the next two years.
“The Biosciences and Technology Convergence Centre will be a significant addition to the scientific research and development capacity of Sault Ste. Marie,” said Dr. Celia Ross, president of Algoma University. “Research into critical issues – such as stopping the spread of invasive species and improving the efficiency of the health care system – will generate new ideas and solutions and help improve all our lives. Algoma Games for Health will bring cutting-edge computer game technologies to bear on health and rehabilitation challenges. Algoma students will benefit from this expertise on campus, enhancing their education and providing them new opportunities.”
For more information about the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, including program criteria, application instructions and a list of the approved projects to date, please visit www.ic.gc.ca/knowledge-infrastructure.
For information about how the Government of Ontario is helping to build and revitalize infrastructure across the province, please visit www.mei.gov.on.ca/english/infrastructure.
Other McGuinty government investments to support Algoma University include:
- · Charter establishing Algoma University as an independent institution
- · Approval of Masters of Science (Computer Games Technology)
- · $1,733,563 for facility improvements and modernization
- · $1 million for transition to independent university
- · $518,808 for endowment foundation - Ontario Trust Program
- · $250,000 to develop Computer Gaming Technology Centre
- · $130,833 direct investment in services for students with disabilities
- · $458,350 for research infrastructure
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