Heating, ventilation and cooling systems in the O Building are reaching the end of their lifespan, and upgrading them now will prevent any unplanned repairs or service gaps. The O Building is home to the Office of the Registrar, the Student Recruitment Office, Student Awards, the Financial Aid Office and more. This funding will ensure administrative staff continue to have a safe environment to work in, and that students can access on-site services comfortably.
Funding for this project is part of an additional $98-million commitment for capital maintenance and renewal at colleges, universities and polytechnics, on top of the $118.5 million in Budget 2020. Government expects the new funding commitment will create about 533 full-time jobs around the province.
“Alberta's Recovery Plan is an ambitious strategy to create jobs, build and diversify. NAIT continues to be a leader in quality post-secondary education across a broad range of disciplines, from skilled trades to business, engineering, science, health, hospitality and tourism, and more. This funding will help NAIT continue their work to set students up for success, while also creating important new jobs in Edmonton.”
“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.”
“We are very grateful to the Government of Alberta for their support to help upgrade these essential systems on our campus. These funds ensure we can continue to maintain an exceptional learning environment for our students. This project will also create jobs at a time when our city and province needs them the most.”
"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."
“NAITSA appreciates the continued capital support from the Government of Alberta. Persistent upgrades to the campus are greatly needed and help further NAIT in being a leading polytechnic. Keeping NAIT’s capital infrastructure modern is essential as NAIT continues to excel at providing the most relevant, up-to-date instruction possible.”
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
