Students in the Cowichan Valley have a reason to celebrate as more post-secondary education and training options become accessible closer to home.

Today on Vancouver Island University's (VIU) 75th anniversary, students, faculty and staff will celebrate the grand opening of VIU's new Cowichan Place campus in Duncan. The new campus, at over 3,500 square metres, serves students enrolled in university degree, business, health and human services, trade and applied technology, career and academic preparation and employability skills programs.

The Cowichan campus features state-of-the-art health and science labs, computer labs and several multipurpose classrooms, a 110-seat lecture theatre, cafeteria and kitchen, library commons and many areas for students to gather and study.

The campus is located in the Cowichan Place development which also includes facilities operated by the City of Duncan, the District of North Cowichan, and the Cowichan Valley School District. The site is a focal point for education, recreation and culture in the Cowichan Valley.

Vancouver Island University received $25.4 million for this project through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program. This includes $13.5 million from the provincial government and $11.9 million from the federal government.

The Cowichan campus funding is part of the federal government's $2-billion plan to repair and expand research and educational facilities at Canadian post-secondary institutions.

The Knowledge Infrastructure Program is a joint federal-provincial investment designed to renew infrastructure at post-secondary institutions across B.C. while also providing local jobs for communities. The Cowichan campus was among 39 projects at post-secondary institutions across the province to receive funding from the Knowledge Infrastructure Program.

Quotes:

Dr. Ralph Nilson, president and vice-chancellor of Vancouver Island University -

"Through Cowichan Place, Vancouver Island University and our partners are improving access to post-secondary education and educational services for the people of the Cowichan Valley. VIU is an institution committed to providing excellence in advanced training and education for Vancouver Island students. The expanded Cowichan Campus improves accessibility and will meet the needs of a growing population for years to come.

"On behalf of our board of governors, I would like to thank the federal and provincial governments and all the community members who have supported this project. We are proud to be a part of this important community initiative."

Quick facts

• Located in the Cowichan Place development, VIU's Cowichan campus is a three-storey 3,500-square-metre (47,000-square-foot) building.
• The Cowichan campus design features include a green roof with a rooftop garden complete with native plant landscaping. It also includes a blue roof with giant cisterns to collect rainwater to irrigate the entire campus grounds.
• As part of Cowichan Place, the new campus is part of a multi-faceted community centre which also includes, School District 79 offices, the Cowichan Aquatic Centre island Savings Centre, Cowichan Community Theatre, a gymnastics centre, two dance studios, Vancouver Island Regional Library and the local arena.
• It also features state-of-the-art technology to support lectures, meetings, symposia and conferences in a setting that will encourage and facilitate interactive dialogue.
• VIU serves approximately 2,400 students in full- and part-time studies at the Cowichan campus annually. The university serves about 6,200 students each year.
• VIU celebrates its 75th anniversary this year and opened its first Cowichan Valley classes in 1973.

Learn more

Vancouver Island University: www.viu.ca

VIU Cowichan campus: http://www.viu.ca/facilities/Campus_Development/Cowichanplace.asp

Knowledge Infrastructure Program: www.ic.gc.ca/knowledge-infrastructure

A backgrounder follows.

Contacts:

Joanne Whittier
Communications Manager
Ministry of Advanced Education
250 952-6400

Gary Toft
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear
Minister of State (Science and Technology) 613 943-7599

BACKGROUNDER

Sept. 22, 2011 Ministry of Advanced Education

Knowledge Infrastructure Program

The Knowledge Infrastructure Program is helping to provide economic stimulus and promote employment by creating jobs for engineers, architects, tradespeople and technicians. In B.C. the federal government is providing up to 50 per cent of the cost of selected projects on a cost-share basis with the Province.

The projects are also part of British Columbia's overall $14-billion capital infrastructure program supported by the Province to create jobs and vital public infrastructure in every region of B.C.

Canada's Economic Action Plan set out to stimulate the Canadian economy and to improve our long-term competitiveness through $12 billion in new infrastructure investment, which includes the $2-billion Knowledge Infrastructure Program.

Contacts:

Joanne Whittier
Communications Manager
Ministry of Advanced Education
250 952-6400

Gary Toft
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear
Minister of State (Science and Technology) 
613 943-7599