Feds, province chip in for new building at UOIT
Federal and provincial politicians were on hand for a funding announcement at UOIT. The university will be receiving $11.8 million from the feds and $1.2 million from the province to go toward the new Software and Informatics Research Centre.
By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express
The latest in what has been a flurry of founding announcements for Oshawa’s post-secondary institutions, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology will be receiving federal and provincial funds in the amount of $13 million to go toward the institute’s newest building.
The Software and Informatics Research Centre (SIRC), currently being constructed on the north side of Conlin Road, adjacent to the university’s arena and sports bubble, is set to have steel come out of the ground in the coming weeks.
The latest donation from the province and federal government ($11.8 million from the feds and $1.2 million from the province) is part of a $33.5-million commitment to the building. UOIT will be funding the remaining $20.5 million for the centre that is slated to become an “innovation hub” on campus.
“Today, we can confirm our commitment to creating innovative spaces and learning spaces for our students and that commitment includes providing the best infrastructure for our researchers to advance discoveries that will help make our world a better place,” said Sue McGovern, the university’s vice-president of external relations in advancement during the media announcement.
The announcement was also attended by Durham MPP Granville Anderson, Oshawa MP Colin Carrie and Whitby MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes.
“Durham is very fortunate to have a world class institution like this right here in our own backyard,” Caesar-Chavannes said, labelling the donation a “historic downpayment.”
“Our goal is to make every Canadian innovation ready,” she said. “They will support our current and future generations of young people as they train for and invent the high value jobs of the future. I could not be more thrilled to see this project come to fruition.”
The building, slated to have the first two floors open next year, will be the future home of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, as well as the Office of the Registrar.
In total, the building will include four floors with approximately 280 square metres of new study space for students, new equipment and a makerspace equipped with 3D printers, soldering equipment and electronics stations.