Province invests $37.5 million in UBC Earth Sciences Building

The Province of British Columbia is investing $37.5 million toward the UBC Earth Systems Science Building, a state-of-the-art education and research facility that will position UBC as a world leader in Earth-science innovation.

"This investment will help ensure British Columbia's continued leadership in the international mineral exploration industry, and will strengthen research into sustainable mining practices and climate change," said Premier Gordon Campbell in announcing the investment at UBC's Pacific Museum of the Earth.

"Students will benefit from the ability to learn here, and B.C.'s mineral exploration and mining industry will benefit from the skilled graduates and leaders in the Earth sciences field from this world-class facility."

The Province is providing $37.5 million toward the new $75-million facility, which is expected to be under construction by summer 2010 and create up to 480 direct jobs.

"We are grateful to both the provincial government and to our industry partners for their significant investment in Earth science education and research at UBC, and for their tremendous vision in supporting our students," said UBC President Stephen Toope. "The students who use this new facility will become the next generation of minerals industry leaders, throughout British Columbia and around the world."

The 'green' facility will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified and will incorporate the latest technologies to support collaborative research carried out by the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, the Department of Statistics and other units in UBC’s Faculty of Science. The balance of the funding will be provided by unprecedented support from the mining industry, UBC and other sources.

"By investing in our post-secondary facilities, we will reap immediate economic benefits while strengthening our post-secondary system for the future," said Murray Coell, Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development.

"Through this investment we are meeting the growing demand for education and research and taking an important step in addressing the looming shortage of qualified geosciences professionals in British Columbia."

The new 14,570 square-metre facility, expected to open in early 2012, will feature an expanded Pacific Museum of the Earth, which attracts thousands of visitors a year, including K-12 students and teachers.

The new facility will meet the pressing need for modern research space, and will feature high-tech research and teaching labs. The facility will also include classrooms, a state-of-the-art lecture theatre complex, seminar rooms, quiet study spaces and common areas that will meet the growing educational needs of 360 major and honours students, 170 graduate students and more than 6,400 undergraduates enrolled in Earth science courses.

It is estimated that 15,000 skilled workers will be required in Canada’s mining and exploration sector over the next decade. Graduates from the departments housed at the new facility will help maintain and grow B.C.'s mining, oil and gas, and mineral exploration industries and their ongoing efforts to develop sustainable and environmentally responsible practices.

This project is part of an overall $14-billion capital infrastructure program supported by the Province that will create up to 88,000 jobs and help build vital public infrastructure in every region of the province.

Since 2001, the Province has invested $1.6 billion in new funding for 805 capital projects on post-secondary campuses around B.C., opened seven new universities, added 36,700 seats, and increased post-secondary spending by 53 per cent.