News Releases & Announcements

OTTAWA, May 25, 2009 — The University of Ottawa is to receive an $80 million boost in infrastructure funding from the Governments of Canada and Ontario.

These investments will fund the construction of the Vanier Tower, a $112.5 million, 15 storey, state-of-the-art, eco-friendly building, created by Diamond and Schmitt Architects, as well as the renovation of the existing Vanier building. The Vanier Tower will provide 22,000 square metres of much-needed learning and research space, and will be the new home of the Faculty of Social Sciences including research space in priority areas such as neuroscience and experimental psychology, economics, public policy and management.

Of the total investment of $80 million, the Government of Canada will contribute $30 million under the Knowledge Infrastructure Program and the Province of Ontario will contribute $50 million in matching funds. The University of Ottawa will provide the remaining $32.5 million. The combined government contributions are the single largest infrastructure investment in the history of the University of Ottawa. They will not only strengthen the University’s infrastructure but also stimulate much-needed economic activity in the region by creating 1100 jobs in the construction and manufacturing sectors during the next two years.

"On behalf of the entire University community, I thank both governments sincerely for this important investment. It will make a world of difference in our ability to build the infrastructure our students and faculty need”, said Allan Rock, President of the University of Ottawa. “This investment is a major contribution towards our efforts to create a world class research and learning environment for both students and faculty."

"Our government, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, is making important infrastructure investments across Canada," said John Baird, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. "During this global recession, we're doing our part to help create jobs, stimulate the economy and prepare Canada for long-term prosperity.

"Our government's investment in infrastructure projects with the post-secondary institutions of Ottawa will create hundreds of jobs and help boost our local economy," said the Honourable Madeleine Meilleur, MPP for Ottawa-Vanier. "This investment will also help to build the strong reputations of our colleges and universities as well as attract new students, including Francophones, from across Canada and around the world."

In recent years, the University of Ottawa has experienced rapid growth, with the student body increasing from 26,000 in 2002 to 36,000 in 2009. At the same time, the University has become one of the most research-intensive in Canada, ranking now as 7th out of the 50 research universities in the country. The funding announced today will help meet the ever-increasing demand for learning and research space, and honour the commitments set out in the University of Ottawa Five-Year Facilities Renewal and Expansion Plan.

Construction on the project is scheduled to begin in July 2009 and should be completed by April 2011. The building is projected to be at least 50% more energy efficient than the current national standard for energy efficiency and is designed to achieve a “GOLD” certification in the LEED program.

To view the architectural renderings of the new Vanier Tower.