The money, the province said in a news release, is “part of the $1.4 billion infrastructure fund announced in the Fall Economic Statement”.

Provost Amit Chakma represented Waterloo at an event held yesterday morning at Conestoga College, featuring Leanna Pendergast, the Liberal MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga riding, who spoke about the grants coming to UW, Conestoga, and Wilfrid Laurier University.

(The Doug Wright Engineering Building under construction, 1957-58.)

“We are in the middle of a building boom,” Chakma told the group, “but the fact remains that the average age of a university building in Ontario is more than 30 years old. In fact our first academic building is 50 years old and is in need of significant repair. . . . This $9 million will support the University of Waterloo’s continuing efforts.” He later told the Record newspaper that UW "could use" not $9 million but $90 million for such purposes.

"Our government is to be commended for investing in campus renewal," added a statement from president David Johnston, calling the money "an investment that will allow us to better meet Canada's teaching and research needs. This $9 million will greatly support our continuing efforts to make our campus more energy efficient, safer and the type of environment that encourages learning, collaboration and innovation."

The province said the money was being provided for “energy efficiency — to help institutions increase efficiency, conserve energy and address health and safety and environmental concerns; campus safety and security initiatives — to assist institutions to improve safety and security systems and ensure students can complete their studies in safe and secure environments; and renewal of existing infrastructure — to help institutions maintain and repair their existing infrastructure.”

UW officials haven’t announced how they will use Waterloo’s share of the money, but vice-president (administration and finance) Dennis Huber has said in the past that there’s always a list of projects, many of them aimed at reducing energy consumption on campus, to be tackled when funding is available. Chakma commented that some important safety and infrastructure issues aren't visible to the naked eye — air quality in labs, for example — and officials will consult across campus as they plan what to do first.

"Our government's investment will help local communities across Ontario immediately by stimulating construction and creating jobs," said John Milloy, the minister of training, colleges and universities, and MPP for Kitchener Centre. He was speaking yesterday at George Brown College in Toronto. The government’s announcement said the funding “will be allocated to all of Ontario's publicly-funded colleges and universities based on established assessments of each institution's needs. Each institution will determine its spending priorities within these three areas.”

Source University of Waterloo