Enhancing Canada's Knowledge Infrastructure

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Good morning ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you Gary, for your warm introduction.  Greetings President Calhoon and Chancellor Robinson.  Thank you for hosting us here at Royal Roads today.  Greetings also to British Columbia’s Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, Dr. Moira Stillwell.  I understand there are also several of your colleagues from the Government of British Columbia, welcome to Ralph Sultan, Jane Thornthwaite and Dave Hayer.  I also want to acknowledge the presence of the Member of Parliament for North Vancouver, Andrew Saxton.

It is a great pleasure to be here with all of you today at Royal Roads University.  There is surely no more beautiful campus in Canada than Lord Dunsmuir’s magnificent castle and the majestic forest and gardens of the Hatley Park National Historic Site.  But beneath the Edwardian grandeur of Royal Roads lies a cutting-edge modern university.

By marrying Internet-based distance education to the principle of life-long learning, Royal Roads helps students advance their knowledge without disrupting their careers or family life.

And let me just say how pleased I am that one of your largest student cohorts consists of the men and women of the Canadian Forces.  Furthering their education while serving our country will ensure they have the opportunities they deserve when they leave the Forces.  And, of course, you are building on the long history of Royal Roads’ relationship with the Canadian military – a history that dates back to the Second World War, when Hatley Castle nearly became the home of Britain’s Royal Family during the Blitz!

But as fascinating as the history of this place is, today I’m here to talk about the future.  In response to the global economic recession, early this year our Government launched an unprecedented, two-year Economic Action Plan to stimulate employment and economic activity across the country.  The centrepiece of our Plan is the largest investment in Canada’s national infrastructure in half a century.  We’re improving roads and bridges, expanding public transit systems, upgrading water treatment facilities, and much more.

In short, we’re using the economic crisis as a short-term opportunity to create jobs, to stimulate economic activity and build the infrastructure that will ensure
Canada’s long-term prosperity.

And that’s why we’re also investing in knowledge infrastructure, in the universities, colleges and other post-secondary institutions that are preparing Canadians for the jobs and opportunities of tomorrow, and that are conducting the scientific and technological research that will keep Canada at the forefront of a rapidly evolving global economy.

Our Knowledge Infrastructure Program was unveiled in March, and thanks to excellent cooperation between the federal government, provincial governments and campus administrators across Canada, we have been able to get dozens of projects underway quickly, including the Innovative Learning Commons now under construction here at Royal Roads.

Today I am pleased to announce a second round of infrastructure funding for B.C. colleges and universities.  In addition to the 29 projects that were launched under Round 1 of the program, another 15 projects have been approved.  In keeping with the time-limited principle of our Action Plan, we are focussing on projects that are ready to begin construction, especially those that will improve the quality of research and development at the province’s universities and colleges and help them attract and retain the best minds from across Canada and around the world.  These projects will create jobs for Canadians now, and develop the infrastructure that will strengthen our post-secondary institutions long into the future.

At its core, today's announcement is about where we are headed as a country.  As the world struggles with the effects of global recession, we as Canadians are looking ahead.  We are using our strong fiscal position to aggressively fund initiatives in communities across the country, initiatives that are already having a positive impact on our economy.

By looking forward today and investing in critical infrastructure like colleges and universities, we are seizing opportunities that will get us through the tough times and ensure Canada emerges stronger than ever.

Thank you

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