Investment of $997,907 in infrastructure at Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue will support research and innovation activities

ROUYN-NORANDA, QC, May 19, 2017 /CNW/ - The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament for Gaspésie–Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, today announced a historic investment to help equip young Quebecers with the quality post-secondary education that will help them achieve their goals.

The Government of Canada is investing $407,670 in infrastructure at Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue. The funding will help the institution provide students with the training needed to access the high-paying middle-class jobs of today and tomorrow.

Federal funding is allocated through the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, which will enhance and modernize research facilities on Canadian campuses and improve the environmental sustainability of these facilities.

Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue will use the funds to move the mineral technology department in order to increase lab space and improve research infrastructure at the industrial waste technology facility, a technology transfer centre.

A total of $997,907 is being invested in these projects:

• The Government of Canada is providing $407,670.
• The cégep and other partners are providing $590,237.

In total, universities and colleges throughout Quebec will receive nearly $1.1 billion from the Government of Canada, the provincial government, the institutions themselves and private donors.

As a result of these investments in Quebec, students, professors and researchers will work in state-of-the-art facilities that advance the country's best research. They will collaborate in specially designed spaces that support lifelong learning and skills training. They will work in close proximity with partners to turn discoveries into products or services. In the process, they will train for—and create—the high-value middle-class jobs of the future. And their discoveries will plant the seeds for the next generation of innovators.

Quotes

"This historic investment by the Government of Canada is a down payment on the government's vision to position Canada as a global centre for innovation. That means making Canada a world leader in turning ideas into solutions, science into technologies, skills into middle-class jobs and start-up companies into global successes."
– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

"Our government will continue to invest time and money in our students' success. Our commitment is clear: do everything possible to help our students and professors accomplish great things. Significant investments like those announced today are helping ensure the development of our higher education facilities so that future generations throughout Quebec have access to state-of-the-art infrastructure."
– The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament for Gaspésie–Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine

"This investment in infrastructure will help the industrial waste technology centre to maintain its position as a leader in mine waste treatment and will contribute to the development of strategic metals recycling. In addition, for Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue students and future mining technicians, having access to these facilities contributes significantly to their technical training, in terms of both its quality and ability to prepare them for the workplace." 
– Sylvain Blais, Director General, Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Quick facts

• The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, and the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, recently announced that the federal government is providing more than $385 million for research infrastructure at institutions throughout Quebec.
• Philippe Couillard, Premier of Quebec, and Hélène David, Minister of Higher Education, recently announced that the Government of Quebec would invest more than $345 million in research infrastructure at post-secondary institutions in Quebec.
• Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue has been awarded $407,670 in federal funding under the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund.
• The targeted, short-term investments under the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund will promote economic activity across Canada and help Canada's universities and colleges develop highly skilled workers, act as engines of discovery, and collaborate on innovations that help Canadian companies compete and grow internationally.
• The Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund supports the Government of Canada's climate change objectives by encouraging sustainable and green infrastructure projects.
• Canada's Innovation and Skills Plan is designed to ensure our country is globally competitive in promoting research, translating ideas into new products and services, accelerating business growth and propelling entrepreneurs from the start-up phase to international success.

Associated links

• Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund
• Innovation and Skills Plan

Follow Minister Bains on Twitter: @MinisterISED

SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Karl W. Sasseville, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, 343-291-2500; Chloé Luciani-Girouard, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of National Revenue, 613-995-2960; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 343-291-1777, [email protected]