Current post-secondary capital projects

Overview

Every year, the Government of Alberta (GoA) prepares a Capital Plan that outlines its investments in infrastructure projects across the province.

Capital Plan summary

Budget 2018 provided $1.4 billion for publicly-funded post-secondary capital projects and capital maintenance and renewal.

Table 1. Capital Plan 2018-23 details ($000s)

Read the complete 2018 Capital Plan.

Keyano College

Campus upgrades

Project details

This project will help the college address deterioration and safety issues in its facilities.

As part of this project, the Heating Plant will be upgraded to address ageing components at the college’s main campus:

• increasing the building’s reliability and efficiency
• reducing ongoing operational costs
• reducing energy consumption
• contributing to environmental sustainability

GoA investment

$15.6 million, including $7.8 million announced in Budget 2018

Expected completion

Targeted for 2019

Medicine Hat College

East Campus development

Project details

The Government of Alberta is investing in Medicine Hat College’s East Campus development.

The East Campus Development project will:

• replace a wheelchair lift with a passenger elevator
• update the barrier-free exit from the gymnasium to current code requirements
• facilitate the replacement of aging underground infrastructure including the sanitary sewer line

GoA investment

$4.27 million

Expected completion

Targeted for 2019

Northern Lakes College

High Prairie Campus consolidation

High Prairie is an important hub to the training needs of the Northern Lakes College service region. This project will:

• provide modern delivery methods and strategies for trades training
• serve regional employment demands
• serve the needs of Indigenous learners in the region
• provide a permanent, centralized and purpose-built facility
• consolidate three ageing facilities
• significantly reduce the college’s operating costs

This facility will further trades and industrial training, as well as fundamental education, which are paramount in the future development of Alberta’s northwestern region.

GoA investment

21.7 million

Expected completion

Targeted for 2021

University of Alberta

Dentistry Pharmacy – functional renewal of building

Project details

The renewal of this historically significant building takes advantage of its excellent architecture and incorporates contemporary building operations and maintenance systems to support administrative, teaching, learning and research activities on the North Campus. This project:

• builds a new access point for the U of A to the community of prospective students, current students and alumni
• allows greater administrative efficiencies by co-locating many central services
• increases floor space
• reduces demand for outside leases

GoA investment

$249 million, including $239 million announced in Budget 2018

Expected completion

Targeted for 2023

District Energy System

A District Energy System (DES) centralizes the production of heating, cooling and electricity for a neighbourhood or community. In general, it is more efficient than having separate systems in each building because it uses less fuel and reduces maintenance, transportation and distribution costs.

The University of Alberta (U of A) owns and operates the fifth largest District Energy System in North America. The heating plant burns gas and uses cogeneration technology to capture the heat emitted as a by-product of electrical generation. Heat that would otherwise be lost is reused to heat campus buildings.

DES is a public utility that serves:

• the U of A
• Alberta Health Services (AHS)
• the Canadian Blood Services
• the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
• the federal National Institute of Nanotechnology
• other smaller power users, including St. Joseph’s College and St. Stephens College

Combining heat and power, the DES will meet the energy needs of new facilities and transition existing facilities to the system with capacity to provide service to some government facilities in the future. A carbon reduction success, the DES:

• can make significant contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• aligns with government’s Climate Leadership Plan
• incorporates the latest technologies
• saves costs through managing power production and natural gas purchases
• reduces operating costs for the university and others relying on DES for utilities services.

To support increased electrical capacity and distribution while addressing operational and safety risks, Alberta government funding supports two system upgrades:

• upgrading the Garneau substation switchgear
• expanding the electrical feeder cable from the Garneau substation to the Greater Campus Area substation

GoA investment

$29.5 million

Expected completion

Targeted for 2022

University of Calgary

MacKimmie Complex

Project details

The MacKimmie Complex is integral to the future master planning of research, academic and student spaces across the U of C campus. The renewal of this complex will address the projected enrolment demand in the Calgary region.

Better space utilization will support future expansion while saving a significant amount on demolition and new construction. This project:

• frees up additional space for classrooms and labs in other buildings
• supports new programming
• allows relocation of the social work program
• allows expansion of the Faculty of Nursing in vacated space
• centralizes administration
• replaces end-of-life building systems
• meets current codes

GoA investment

$262 million, in addition to $17 million previously provided for retrofit planning funds

Expected completion

Targeted for 2022

University of Lethbridge

Destination Project science and academic building

Project details

The Destination Project will help define the university’s direction for the future. There will be 36,000 square metres added to the campus footprint, including 3 projects:

1. A new science building
2. A new energy/utility centre
3. University Hall renewal, providing additional classrooms and space for student support services, faculty and administration

A state-of-the-art science facility will enhance the university’s ability to attract the best and brightest students and top researchers to Lethbridge and Alberta. It is expected to increase student capacity by 450 students.

Fostering a community of science at the university and in southern Alberta, this project will:

• bring together faculty and students from across science disciplines
• promote and enable curricular innovation
• help students achieve academic goals

An outdated and over-crowded science building will be replaced to provide more space, deliver competitive science programs and offer world-class research opportunities in:

• biochemistry
• chemistry
• kinesiology
• geography
• physics

GoA investment

$247 million, including $49.9 million announced in Budget 2018

Expected completion

Targeted for 2019

Capital Maintenance and Renewal

The Capital Maintenance and Renewal (CMR) program provides funds to 21 publicly-funded post-secondary institutions on an annual basis. These funds will be used to:

• assist with maintaining the condition of facilities
• cover the cost of repairs, upgrades, maintenance or replacement of building systems and major building components
• cover the cost of minor functional renovations
• assist with upgrading projects required to meet program delivery needs

Infrastructure Maintenance Program funding is provided on a formula basis, taking into consideration the:

• total area of supported buildings
• deferred maintenance
• location

GoA investment

$735.5 million over five years

Strategic Investment Fund

Several projects receive funding from the provincial government and the federal government’s Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund (SIF). SIF is a $2 billion initiative designed to modernize research and commercialization facilities at Canadian universities, colleges and polytechnics.

The ministry received $28.15 million from the federal government and will provide funding to post-secondary institutions in fiscal 2018-19.

Find out more about the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund (SIF).