News Release
State-Of-The-Art Environment Science Complex Takes Root
Ground
Breaks on Richardson
College for the
Environment & Science Complex
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE – THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2008
WINNIPEG, MB – Manitoba Premier Gary Doer and James Richardson & Sons, Limited President & Chief Executive Officer Hartley Richardson, along with University of Winnipeg President & Vice-Chancellor Lloyd Axworthy and A World of Opportunity Capital Campaign Chair R.M. (Bob) Kozminski, today officially began construction of the Richardson College for the Environment and Science Complex with a sod-turning ceremony. Today’s event marks another major step towards establishing UWinnipeg’s new Furby-Langside campus on Portage Avenue, where construction is already underway on the McFeetors Hall: Great-West Life Student Residence.
Effective Partnerships
“The
Richardson College for the Environment and Science Complex is a prime example
of effective partnerships with government and the private sector that benefit
our students, our community and the province as a whole,” said Axworthy. “This
new complex will not only provide innovative new science and environmental
facilities for UWinnipeg students, faculty and researchers. It
will enable us to develop leaders who will become effective global stewards,
and contribute to the development of practical solutions to today’s complex
environmental issues.”
Model Green Building
The Richardson College
for the Environment and Science Complex is a first step in an innovative plan
to enhance science education and research at UWinnipeg. The building will
provide much-needed new classrooms, laboratories and offices for the Faculty of
Science, especially the Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Studies
departments. The College will be a
cutting-edge centre, engaging students and faculty in innovative research in natural
and social sciences with a focus on the North, climate change, water
stewardship and indigenous science education. The building itself will also be a model for green
building technology and will be constructed to a minimum LEED (Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Standard with a goal of achieving a
maximum of energy efficiency.
Expected Completion in Late 2010
The first phase of construction on the Complex
begins within days with excavation and shoring work taking place through the
winter months. Work on the complex’s
exterior and interior is planned to begin in early 2009, subject to approval by
the University’s Board of Regents, with expected completion in late 2010. This project will employ approximately 560
people during the next two years.
Largest Private Donation
The Richardson
College for the
Environment and Science Complex was initiated two years ago, on Sept. 12, 2006,
with the generous donation of $3 million from the Richardson Firm, Family and
Foundation. One of the largest private
donations to The University of Winnipeg to date, the Richardson gift establishes a College for the
Environment that will foster
environmental and sciences studies international in scope with an interactive
community educational focus. Furthermore, after learning of the support from
the Province and the impressive plans to revitalize this community, the
Richardson Foundation provided an additional $500,000 gift toward the development
of the urban greenspace surrounding the College along with a green corridor
connecting the main University campus with the Furby-Langside site.
Historic Donation
Two months
later, the Province
of Manitoba helped make
the Complex a reality with its own historic donation of $25 million to the
University’s A World of Opportunity Capital Campaign. Announced by Premier Doer on Nov. 16, 2006,
it was the largest public donation ever to UWinnipeg. The Province has since provided $7 million in
additional support for University laboratories, especially for vivarium and
greenhouse facilities in the new complex, and upgrades to existing labs. These major gifts have since leveraged more
than $5 million in additional fundraising from private donors for the project,
with other interested prospects to come.
“This
state-of-the-art complex will be widely recognized for its leading-edge
environmental design and will complement the new Manitoba Hydro building as a
symbol of innovation in downtown Winnipeg,”
Premier Doer said. “The new science complex will offer our students first-class
learning and research opportunities in a first-class setting.”
For more information go to Richardson
College for the
Environment & Science Complex Backgrounder