(Monday, June 1, 2009 - PETERBOROUGH, ON) - Dean Del Mastro, Member of Parliament for Peterborough, and Jeff Leal, Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament for Peterborough, today announced funding through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program in the amount of $20.7 million for Trent University.

The federal government will give $10.8 million and Ontario will provide another $9.9 million for a total of $20.7 million in funding towards a new facility that will contain laboratories, offices and classrooms.  The expanded DNA and Health Sciences Centre will house the Trent-Fleming School of Nursing along with several social science departments, including Psychology and Anthropology. 

This investment is part of the federal government's two-year, $2-billion plan to repair and expand research and educational facilities at colleges and universities across Canada and Ontario's commitment to invest $780 million in its colleges and universities to modernize facilities and boost the province's long-term research and skills training capacity over the next two years.

"This Government of Canada investment in Trent University will provide a significant short-term economic stimulus to the Peterborough Riding and will create jobs in this region," said MP Del Mastro.  "Our government is investing in innovation to create jobs, to help our economy recover quickly and to improve the quality of life for all Canadians."

"Investing in the skills and knowledge of Ontarians is a cornerstone of our government's plan to strengthen the economy," said Jeff Leal.  "By investing at Trent University today, the Ontario government is supporting new construction and renovation projects which will create construction jobs in the short-term and provide more opportunities for our students to develop the skills they need for the jobs of the future."

These joint investments are to help provide economic stimulus and promote employment by creating construction jobs as well as employment for engineers, architects, other tradespeople and technicians. They are also helping to improve teaching facilities and generate the advanced technological infrastructure needed to keep Ontario's colleges and universities at the forefront of scientific advancement.

"On behalf of Trent University, I would like to extend our deep appreciation to Dean Del Mastro and Jeff Leal, and to the Ministers at both levels of government, for bringing this substantial investment that will provide a valuable economic stimulus to the broader Peterborough community," said Bonnie Patterson, President and Vice Chancellor.  "This important investment in Trent's knowledge infrastructure will benefit students and faculty by providing them with access to much needed new space. It will create opportunities to introduce new programs in health sciences and sustainability, and address some long standing space pressures by reorganizing existing spaces."

Demonstrating their commitment to stimulating the economy and creating jobs, both the Governments of Canada and Ontario are moving forward with a number of large-scale infrastructure programs to assist Ontarians when they need it most.

Canada's Economic Action Plan sets out to stimulate the Canadian economy over the next two years and to improve our long-term competitiveness through $12 billion in new infrastructure investment, across Canada which includes the $2-billion Knowledge Infrastructure Program. This new support is the next substantive investment in the Government of Canada's multi-year Science and Technology Strategy, Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage.

Through the 2009 Ontario Provincial Budget - Confronting the Challenge: Building Our Economic Future - the province is investing $32.5 billion in infrastructure for Ontario over the next two years, including a $5 billion contribution from the federal government, that will support more than 300,000 jobs and strengthen Ontario's economy. These investments build on the Ontario government's five-year, $30 billion ReNew Ontario infrastructure investment plan, which was completed in 2008-09, one year ahead of schedule.

LEARN MORE

Learn how the Government of Canada is investing in Ontario infrastructure visit www.buildingcanada.gc.ca

Learn how the Government of Ontario is helping to build and revitalize infrastructure across the province visit www.mei.gov.on.ca

To learn more about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca

Learn more about provincial solutions for Ontario visit www.fin.gov.on.ca