Ralph Goodale on Friday April 21. Photo by Dean Bear.
The federal government will be investing $1.97 million in two Saskatchewan post-secondary institutions.
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale made the announcement in Saskatoon on Friday on behalf of Navdeep Bains, the Minister for Innovation, Science and Development.
The Saskatchewan Indians Institute of Technologies (SIIT) will receive $1.7 million in federal funding for infrastructure upgrades at the Saskatoon Campus and Saskatchewan Polytechnic will receive $261,000 for the construction of a lab at its educational facility at Candle Lake.
Goodale said it was important to make the investment in SIIT in Saskatoon, which has been a providing post-secondary education for over 40 years.
“The net result of this will be more Saskatchewan young people, including aboriginal students, will have the opportunity for a higher quality education and for greater exposure to the new technologies that will define the economies of the future,” he added.
SIIT CEO Riel Bellegarde says the investment will allow the Saskatoon campus to modernize its heating and cooling systems and seal the exterior of the building to improve energy efficiency.
“Investments like this ensure SIIT can focus on building a diverse and skilled workforce through post-secondary education and training programs.”
The investment in Sask. Polytechnic will go towards a facility for applied research in environmental sciences and natural resources.
CEO Dr. Larry Rosia said it will provide for improved education and will enable students and other research teams like the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation to experience working in the boreal forest.
The money for the two post-secondary centres will come from the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, which was put in place to help modernize research facilities on Canadian campuses.