Canada, Ontario and the University of Guelph to Invest & Renew Infrastructure at the University of Guelph

$66.6M investment will create jobs, expand research and foster innovation

Canadians will be better equipped for the well-paying middle-class jobs of today and tomorrow as a result of a $66.6M investment in the University of Guelph.

This joint federal-provincial investment was announced today by Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and by the Honourable Liz Sandals, President of Treasury Board and Member of Provincial Parliament for Guelph.

The Government of Canada’s Innovation Agenda aims to make this country a global centre for innovation—one that creates jobs, drives growth across all industries and improves the lives of all Canadians. This investment is a prime example of that vision in action.

The funding will support 6 projects including Research and Collaborative spaces for Computer Science and Engineering students and faculty, Renewal and Renovation of the MacNaughton Building, Dedicated Centre for Bio-Carbon Innovation and Commercialization, Research Collaboratory: McLaughlin Library Renewal and Renovation, University of Guelph Production Animal Research Isolation Unit and University of Guelph Food Innovation Centre which will position Guelph as one of Canada’s premier research and innovation institutions. Of the $66.6M investment, $26.2M will come from the federal government and $4.7M from the Government of Ontario. The University of Guelph will contribute an additional $35.7M.

The funding from the Government of Canada is being allocated through the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, which will enhance and modernize research facilities on Canadian campuses and improve the environmental sustainability of these facilities.

As a result of these investments, students, professors and researchers will work in state-of-the-art facilities that advance the country’s best research. They will collaborate in specially designed spaces that support lifelong learning and skills training. They will work in close proximity with partners to turn discoveries into products or services. In the process, they will train for—and invent—the high-value jobs of the future. Their discoveries will plant the seeds for the next generation of innovators.

That is how the Strategic Investment Fund builds the momentum for forward thinking innovation, creating the right conditions for long-term growth that will yield benefits for generations to come.

Ontario’s contributions to these projects are part of the largest investment in public infrastructure in the province’s history — about $160 billion over 12 years, which is supporting 110,000 jobs every year across the province. Ontario is pleased to partner with the University of Guelph to contribute over $40M to support facility renewal and expansion.

Improving postsecondary facilities is part of the government’s economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs.

Postsecondary institutions foster science and research excellence that supports a thriving, clean economy. They help train the highly skilled workforce of tomorrow and create knowledge and insights that fuel our engines of discovery.

“These infrastructure investments will help the University of Guelph develop creative and entrepreneurial citizens, lead in science and technology, provide innovation infrastructure, and support a business environment for commercialization and growth. These are mutual goals with the Government of Canada that can help the middle class grow and prosper today, while also delivering sustained economic growth for years to come. Through the Strategic Investment Fund, we are strengthening the foundation for building Canada into a global centre for innovation.”

– Lloyd Longfield, MP for Guelph

“This once-in-a-generation investment by the Government of Canada is a historic down payment on the government’s vision to position Canada as a global centre for innovation. That means making Canada a world leader in turning ideas into solutions, science into technologies, skills into jobs and start-up companies into global successes. This investment will create conditions that are conducive to innovation and long-term growth, which will in turn keep the Canadian economy globally competitive.”

– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

“Encouraging scientific awareness in Guelph and across Canada depends on supporting our world-class scientists and researchers. Through investments such as those under the Strategic Investment Fund, we are continuing to lay the groundwork for making Canada a global leader in scientific excellence.”

– The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science