Bishop’s University inaugurates new laboratories and greenhouse
Continuing its work to renovate and modernize campus facilities, Bishop’s University unveiled the new Johnson science laboratories and greenhouse this past Friday, August 30. The $9.3 million project, which began
in January 2018, is meant to significantly improve the experience of students and faculty taking classes and conducting research, notably in astrophysics, organic chemistry, biodiversity, epidemiology, and cell biology.
At the opening, Bishop’s Principal and Vice-chancellor Michael Goldbloom addressed a room full of alumni, staff, students, and political representatives, such as Lennoxville borough president Claude Charron, Haut-saintfrançois MNA Geneviève Hébert, and Compton-stanstead MP and Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food Marie-claude
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Bibeau.
“As with our Library and Learning Commons Project last year, the Governments of Canada and Quebec provided funds to support these improvements to our infrastructures in the Johnson building, which will greatly benefit our students’ journey towards academic excellence,” he remarked, sharing that funding for the project came from the Post Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund and Quebec’s Plan quinquennal d’investissement universitaire.
“I’m proud to see the completion of these state-of-the-art greenhouse and laboratories,” declared Bibeau. “These international quality facilities will offer students a concrete experience to help Bishop’s contribute to the progress in science and research. Beyond the dollars that were invested in the project, it is much more interesting to see what has been accomplished with those dollars. Investing in people is the way to plant the seeds of innovation.”
The Johnson building is the most recent in a growing list of renovated and modernized facilities on campus. In recent years, Bishop’s University also revamped its sports center, its library, and three student residences. Johnson now features over 700 square metres of renovated space, including modernized teaching laboratories in organic and analytical chemistry, improved communal study rooms, and new safety features such as electronic card access control points.
BU’S modernized greenhouse now boasts 15-foot ceilings, which allows for the cultivation of a wide variety of species and experiential learning opportunities, such as growing hops for the Arches Brewery, an integral part of the Brewing Sciences graduate certificate program.
“Sustainability is very important here, so we use water recuperation systems from melted snow for example, for our irrigation,” explained biology laboratory technician Geneviève Levasseur. “We also have blackout curtains on our ceiling and all three walls to limit light pollution. This is especially important, given that we have the astronomical observatory over at the Nicolls building, and that we are close to the Mont-mégantic observatory.”
The greenhouse’s control system is connected to a meteorological station, which allows it to fully determine the building’s humidity, temperature, and light levels. Snow fall activated roof warmers help prevent snow or ice buildup and timer-controlled lights ensure a year-round operation.
Visitors were able to visit the greenhouse, a multitude of laboratories, and communal spaces.
“This new space really favours academic and cultural exchange in ways we had never been able to experience before. Simply put, my students and I did not have a room dedicated to us and our work,” mentioned biology associate professor Dr. Patrick Bergeron, when asked by Bibeau about the benefits of the renovations.
“Our graduate and undergraduate students can discuss their findings, theories, and concerns here,” he continued. “Not every graduate student wants to go study biology in downtown Toronto. BU’S location in the Eastern Townships offers a truly hands-on approach. We have been studying several native animals’ response to climate change, such as a chipmunk population in Mansonville, for over a decade, and we also work in a frog freshwater habitat located behind the sports center.”
“When Quebec University students have access to quality research and learning infrastructures and equipment, all Quebecers stand to reap the benefits of their knowledge and discovery,” added Hébert. This inauguration comes just days after the Quebec government announced an extra $1M that will be granted to Bishop’s University on a yearly basis.
“I don’t think they teach project management to those obtaining their doctorate in biology, but Dr. Kerry Hull can certainly now consider a career in construction management,” quipped Goldbloom as he introduced the Johnson renovations’ project director and professor in the Biology department and interim Dean of Arts and Science for Natural Science and Mathematics and Social Science Kerry Hull.
“I’d like to thank Karl Gagnon and Geneviève Levasseur, our laboratory technicians in the Johnson building in chemistry and biology, who went above and beyond to ensure that the installations met the needs of our students,” said Hull. “I also want to recognize the work of David Lacroix and Gilles Morin who managed the construction with assiduity and patience, as well as the architect teams from Espace Vital and Capital Greenhouse and all the engineers and workers who dedicated their time to the project.”
“I want to finally thank the faculty, staff, and students of Bishop’s University and Champlain College. Renovation projects in occupied buildings that are at the center of our science programs us a complex project that has unique challenges,” she conceded. “I’m proud to say that we now have safe and modern facilities to teach and research physics, chemistry, and biology.”