New Science Building at Yukon College to Cost $35 Million

Wednesday, 20 March 2019 12:44

The new building (Photo courtesy of Yukon College)

Yukon College President Karen Barnes says she's excited about the recent $26 million investment from the federal budget to help build a new science building at the future Yukon University. Barnes says the university will work to obtain additional funds to help cover the additional $10 million in costs.

Yukon College President Karen Barnes says she's excited about the recent $26 million investment from the federal budget to help build a new science building at the future Yukon University.

Barnes says the new investment will help students conduct laboratory and field experiments around climate change and permafrost using both Indigenous knowledge and western science.

While Barnes says while the building will cost more around $35 million to build, she says the university will work to obtain additional funds to help cover additional costs.

"It's going to be a $26 million investment but the building itself is budgeted at $35 million. We're going to raise the additional money through other means. It's certainly going to employ a lot of trades people and a lot of experts in science."

Yukon College Associate Vice President of Research Development Dr. Bronwyn Hancock say while it's not sure just yet exactly how big the building will be, the design for the project will start this summer.

"Now that we know the funding envelope, the next step is to do some work on the design. (That includes) to see what are the elements we want to include, how does it cost out and the size of the building we can grow."

Hancock says two new faculty members as part of the Indigenous Governance degree were also hired recently in anticipation to teach in the new space.

The building will be the first you see on the left-hand side of the future university as you drive up College Drive from Range Road and is expected to be finished construction in 2023.

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