U of L infrastructure

Government is providing $20 million to upgrade the University of Lethbridge’s district heating and cooling centre, creating about 112 jobs in the Lethbridge area.

The district heating and cooling centre is located in the iconic University Hall building, which first opened in 1971. An upgraded district heating and cooling centre is critical to the continued operation and viability of the vast majority of the current campus. Student residences, academic spaces and research labs will all benefit from a more efficient and functional system. It will also give dozens of Albertans consistent, well-paying jobs – a key government priority under Alberta’s Recovery Plan.

Funding for the University of Lethbridge project is part of an additional $98-million commitment to postsecondary institutions for accelerated capital maintenance and renewal, which is expected to create about 533 full-time jobs around the province.

“The University of Lethbridge is one of the top research universities of its kind, and it’s also a strong pillar of the regional economy. This funding will not only guarantee a high-quality campus experience for years to come, it will also help many Albertans in the Lethbridge area find gainful employment and provide for their families.” explained Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of

Advanced Education in a statement.

“The investment in a new energy centre at the University of Lethbridge not only creates immediate employment, but will lower our carbon footprint and provide ongoing operational savings through energy efficiency. This new plant and supporting infrastructure will reliably meet the heating and cooling requirements for approximately 80 per cent of our campus buildings,” added Mike Mahon, president and vicechancellor, University of Lethbridge.

Budget 2020 already includes $118.5 million for capital maintenance and renewal at colleges, universities and polytechnics. In April, the Alberta government announced it was accelerating the capital plan and increasing capital maintenance and renewal spending in 2020-21 to almost $2 billion. Advanced Education worked with post-secondary institutions to identify projects, with a focus on addressing existing maintenance issues, ensuring compliance with building codes and regulations, increasing access to services, and reducing operational costs. Government also prioritized projects that will help create jobs, and are ready for work to begin.

The University of Lethbridge project is part of the more than $10 billion infrastructure spending announced as part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan.