June 15, 2011
ACC Campus Redevelopment in Brandon Takes Next Step Forward
– – –Investment Totals Over $57 Million: Selby
BRANDON--Continued support for the redevelopment of the Assiniboine Community College (ACC) North Hill campus took another step forward with a $5-million investment towards campus infrastructure renewal and planning, Advanced Education and Literacy Minister Erin Selby announced here today. This brings total provincial funding in the new campus to over $57 million.
“The relocation of ACC is a vision of future prosperity for this learning institution which is an integral part of western Manitoba, offering some of the very best post-secondary training in the province,” said Selby. “Our government is proud to have supported this state-of-the-art facility from the very beginning.”
The campus infrastructure renewal includes improvements to roads, parking, bus routes, outdoor lighting, security, direction signage and underground services such as sewer and water.
Much of the infrastructure at the North Hill campus dates back to the days of the Brandon Mental Health Centre. The improvements announced today will allow for current buildings and future campus developments to operate with new and modern infrastructure, said Selby, adding the infrastructure planning work will allow for possible future development of campus facilities such as the Parklands Building.
The relocation of ACC to the former Brandon Mental Health Centre at its First Street location began in 2005. This saw the former nurses’ residence transformed into the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts, which opened in September 2007. The province provided funding totalling $7.5. million for Phase 1.
Phase 2 saw the creation of the Len Evans Centre for Trades and Technology (LECTT) at the former Pine Ridge Building with a provincial investment totalling $46 million.
Since 1999, enrolment at ACC has grown by over 61 per cent to 3,744 students as of the 2009-10 academic year. The recent expansion of new trades space at the North Hill campus through the LECTT will further increase this growing enrolment trend at the college as it has provided room for up to 1,404 students to now enrol in a trades-based program, an increase of nearly 45 per cent in trades capacity in Brandon overall.
“2011 marks Assiniboine Community College’s 50th anniversary of providing high-quality training in Manitoba,” said Mark Frison, president, ACC. “This site services plan marks an important step forward in planning for the further development of the North Hill campus which will undoubtedly serve ACC well for the next 50 years.”
“The quality of programming being delivered at ACC continues to be enhanced by this relocation and redevelopment,” said Selby. “We are providing new opportunities to train more people to enter our skilled workforce and giving them that chance in Westman.”
The continued relocation of the campus will have a focus on energy efficiency and environmental stewardship, and will set the stage for future development of sustainable buildings following the requirements of the Green Building Policy, Selby said.
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