The funding will allow Keyano College to reroute data wires, while also ensuring the entire Fort McMurray campus is in compliance with building and safety codes. Keyano College employs hundreds of staff members and serves thousands of students. This project will ensure the college can continue to offer a safe and high-quality campus experience.
Work is ready to start and will create about 18 full-time jobs in the community. Funding for this project is part of an additional $98-million commitment to post-secondary institutions for accelerated capital maintenance and renewal, which is expected to create about 533 full-time jobs around the province.
This work will help improve all campus facilities while also giving Albertans consistent, well-paying jobs – a key government priority under Alberta’s Recovery Plan.
“Alberta’s Recovery Plan is a bold, ambitious long-term strategy to build, diversify, and create tens of thousands of jobs, now. With this funding we’re protecting and improving the things that make a difference in the lives of Albertans, and we’re setting students up for success by ensuring they have access to first-rate facilities and the training they need to find a well-paying career.”
“Alberta’s Recovery Plan focuses on infrastructure as a critical component for supporting economic growth and jobs for Albertans. This includes investing in shovel-ready projects to upgrade and maintain public facilities, like this post-secondary institution, that help keep Albertans working and stimulate local economies where it matters most.”
“As part of our ambitious economic recovery program, our government is investing in critical infrastructure throughout our province, including right here in Fort McMurray. I’m proud to see $3.2 million invested to ensure compliance with building codes at Keyano. This important investment will create jobs and help keep Albertans employed during these challenging times.”
“Keyano College is a very valued institution in northern Alberta. Our government’s investment in the north, in Fort McMurray and Keyano College will create much needed jobs during our recovery and serve our community long into the future.”
“We are very excited to receive this generous funding from the Government of Alberta to modernize and remediate building code deficiencies at our Clearwater Campus. Keyano has buildings commissioned as early as 1974, and these upgrades will ensure the physical security and safety of our employees, students, and infrastructure. This funding comes at a critical time for Keyano College and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Our region was hit hard by the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by devastating overland flooding in April, with significant damage to Keyano College properties. Economic stimulus is much needed in our region, and this project will help get Albertans back to work.”
“The Students’ Association of Keyano College is pleased with the additional $3.2 million in capital support from the Government of Alberta. It is well known that Keyano has faced capital challenges in recent years, which were worsened this year due to the flood. This kind of investment in Keyano is great news, and the Student Association of Keyano College would like to say a big thank you to the Government of Alberta.”
"The Alberta Students' Executive Council thanks the Government of Alberta for their commitment of $98 million from the Capital Maintenance and Renewal Stimulus Fund. This investment comes at an important time for Alberta's institutions and our economy, a fact well recognized by our university, college, and polytechnic student members. ASEC supports this supplemental capital funding, and remains committed to working with the government in building a modern post-secondary system in Alberta."
In April, the Alberta government announced it was accelerating the capital plan and increasing capital maintenance and renewal spending in 2020-21 to almost $2 billion. Advanced Education worked with post-secondary institutions to identify projects, with a focus on addressing existing maintenance issues, ensuring compliance with building codes and regulations, increasing access to services, and reducing operational costs. Government also prioritized projects that will help create jobs, and are ready for work to begin.
Alberta’s Recovery Plan is a bold, ambitious long-term strategy to build, diversify, and create tens of thousands of jobs, now. By building schools, roads and other core infrastructure, we are benefitting our communities. By diversifying our economy and attracting investment with Canada’s most competitive tax environment, we are putting Alberta on a path for a generation of growth. Alberta came together to save lives by flattening the curve and now we must do the same to save livelihoods, grow and thrive.
Key facts
This project is part of the more than $10 billion infrastructure spending announced as part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan. This spending includes:
- $6.9 billion Budget 2020 capital spending
- $980 million accelerated for Capital Maintenance and Renewal
- $200 million for Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program and water infrastructure projects
- $600 million in strategic infrastructure projects, $500 million in municipal infrastructure
- $1.5 billion for Keystone XL
