April 29, 2011
New Expansion Begins at University College of the North in Thompson
– – –$82-Million Investment Will Transform Campus: Ministers
THOMPSON—Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton joined community leaders here today at the sod-turning for a $82-million expansion at University College of the North (UCN).
Construction is now underway for an 88,000-square-foot (8,200-square-metre) expansion which will include classrooms, laboratories, ceremonial and elder space, student services, campus commons, a library, student support spaces and a child-care centre.
“Thompson and northern Manitoba will now have a modern state-of-the-art campus,” said Ashton. “This project reflects our government’s commitment to realizing the full potential of northern Manitoba.”
“The Thompson campus will have long-term benefits for northern Manitobans,” said Advanced Education and Literacy Minister Erin Selby. “It will contribute to community and economic development, producing more opportunities for jobs and training, while giving local residents more convenient access to post-secondary education.”
The $82-million, environmentally friendly project includes a $68.4-million teaching facility,
$7.3 million for site infrastructure and $6.3 million for a 24-unit student family-housing addition. This redevelopment will complement the UCN campuses at The Pas and across UCN’s 12 regional centres, Ashton noted. The redevelopment is projected to increase enrolment capacity at the Thompson campus to 510 from 342 students.
The UCN Thompson campus will be a major delivery centre for post-secondary programs in both the university and college sectors, Selby said. It will be designed to accommodate future education and training spaces, based on community need. It will allow UCN to expand important program delivery and research capacity in the north, she added.
The University College of the North was established by an act of the Manitoba legislature on July 1, 2004, recognizing UCN as a degree-granting university college in Manitoba. Its mandate is to serve the post-secondary education and training needs of Aboriginal and northern Manitobans.
“This new campus will ensure that UCN will expand its ability to provide educational opportunities for learners which, in turn, will empower northern people and their communities,” said Konrad Jonasson, interim president, University College of the North.
Construction is scheduled to be completed in late 2013.
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