This week’s federal budget, which included $2 billion for Canadian university and college infrastructure, is “an important investment in times that are financially challenging” for The University of Western Ontario.
Specific figures are not available, but Western hopes to receive about $50 million if the budget passes this week in the House of Commons.
The funding would allow the university to proceed quickly with work on several key research and teaching facilities such as the Physics & Astronomy building – ready to go in terms of planning – and renovation of the former Physical Plant building for an academic unit, possibly the Faculty of Information and Media Studies.
Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Fred Longstaffe says the university also has plans for projects in the area of energy efficiency and sustainability – which if implemented, could generate ongoing savings on utilities in the future.
“The prospect of significant infrastructure spending is welcome news for Western and the London region,” says Longstaffe. “It will allow us to provide a strong environment for our leading edge researchers, and will also speed the introduction of major initiatives to support energy efficiency and sustainability on campus.”
With operating budget shortfalls projected at the university, Longstaffe cautioned the new money will not resolve deficits faced by faculties and departments.
“This proposed infusion of external resources to support modernization of Western’s infrastructure, so very welcomed as it is, does – unfortunately – not resolve the shortfalls in operating funds that the university is currently experiencing,” he says.
“The impacts on faculty and staff levels likely will not be softened substantially by this federal injection of funds for infrastructure improvements.”
In its Long-Range Space Plan the university listed six Category 1 projects (underway in terms of detailed planning or into serious pre-planning stages), but the expected construction costs far exceed the hopeful estimate of $50 million.
“Of course, we have heard only the federal government’s general proposition for funding of infrastructure – we do not know the details,” he says. “It may be that the provincial government will also provide funding to complement/match the federal program. It is just too early to speculate further.”
The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) welcomes the new investment in Canada’s university infrastructure, stating universities have a deferred maintenance backlog of more than $5 billion from maintenance delayed over more than a decade – $2.4 billion of which is deemed urgent.
“Universities will identify projects that are ready to go and will deal with urgent maintenance issues such as upgrading buildings, labs and research facilities,” says Tom Traves, chair of the Board of Directors of AUCC and president of Dalhousie University.
“In these difficult economic times, supporting universities’ ability to contribute to Canada’s short-term recovery and long-term growth has an even greater significance.”
Western President Paul Davenport described the federal infrastructure announcement as “an important investment” and said he’s appreciative of continued commitment to the Canada Foundation for Innovation and graduate expansion.
“It is also encouraging to see the additional funding for the Canada Graduate Scholarship program that will increase opportunities for students to pursue degrees at the highest level,” he says. “These graduates are the key to the future prosperity of Canada’s economy.”
Nationally, the additional $87.5 million short-term funds for Canada Graduate Scholarships and $3.5 million internships in science and business are significant contributions to maintaining Canadian universities’ ability to produce highly qualified talent, providing an additional 1,000 master’s scholarships and 500 doctoral scholarships.