The funding will go towards upgrading and replacing a variety of electrical and mechanical infrastructure, including heating, ventilation and cooling, as well as water and sewage systems. This work will help avoid more costly and disruptive repairs in the future, thereby reducing the college’s insurance costs and ensuring staff and students can continue to benefit from the many amenities on campus.
Additionally, this project will give about 28 Albertans reliable and rewarding jobs – a key government priority under Alberta’s Recovery Plan.
“Alberta’s Recovery Plan is an ambitious plan to build, diversify and create jobs. With this funding, government is not only ensuring post-secondary students and staff continue to have high-quality campus experiences, we are also creating work opportunities for contractors and skilled tradespeople in the Red Deer community.”
“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.”
“This investment is welcome news for the Red Deer community. Red Deer College plays a vital role for Red Deer and central Alberta, and this additional capital funding will help upgrade its facilities while also creating jobs for our city.”
“I am excited to see this $5-million investment in our community, in the college that I attended in my youth. This infrastructure investment will strengthen Red Deer College’s position as a great place for Albertans to obtain knowledge and skills to pursue their dreams.”
“We appreciate this valuable investment from the Government of Alberta to allow RDC to enhance our facilities. Everything we do is in support of our students and community, and with this investment, we can continue to enhance optimal learning environments on our vibrant campuses. We are also excited to provide important employment opportunities in our region through the construction projects that will result from this grant funding, helping Alberta's economic recovery during this challenging time.”
"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."
"This $5-million investment from the Capital Maintenance and Renewal fund from the Government of Alberta in Red Deer College will ensure that students are able to continue to learn in a safe, warm, and healthy environment when they return to in-person classes."
Funding for this project is part of an additional $98-million commitment to post-secondary institutions, which is expected to create about 533 full-time jobs around the province.
Budget 2020 already includes $118.5 million for capital maintenance and renewal at colleges, universities and polytechnics. 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
