Durham College (DC) announced today that it has received $13 million in funding from the federal government through the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) toward the construction of the new Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE) at the college’s Oshawa campus. The announcement was made by Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Liberal MP for Whitby, on behalf of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada at an event held at the college this morning.

The $13 million commitment, combined with the $22 million in funding received from the provincial government toward the building in April 2016, brings the total amount being invested in the CFCE to $35 million, the largest single-project investment by government in the college’s history.

With a total build cost of $40 million, the CFCE will replace the college’s aging Simcoe building, which was originally built as a temporary structure and opened in 1969. The new multi-level, 75,000-square-foot-facility, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017, will serve as an educational access point for students while bringing together local, Indigenous and global community groups and members of key business sectors. The CFCE will be located to the east of the current building, where it will connect directly to the Student Services building, and is being designed to reflect and address the needs of both students and the community, including the desire for more collaborative learning and social spaces.

“On behalf of everyone at Durham College, I extend my sincere thanks to the federal government for this significant investment in our unique vision and commitment to creating a facility that will expand local programming, further connect Indigenous communities to post-secondary education and drive entrepreneurship and internationalization via Global, Open and Collaborative spaces that connect the college to more than 50 academic institutions around the world,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “Providing us with the opportunity to expand into new programs areas that offer experiential learning opportunities designed to match the labour needs of industry, the CFCE is a legacy building for the next 50 years that truly reflects Durham College’s dedication to meeting the demands of students, employers and Ontario’s changing economy.”

Designed to reflect DC’s commitment to working with local business and community partners to create a new facility where students, employees and the broader community can work together in ways that transcend the traditional concepts of education, the CFCE will house the following:

• The School-College-Work Initiative and the affiliated Centre for Success program, a partnership between DC and the Durham District, Kawartha Pine Ridge District, Durham Catholic District, Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District, and Trillium Lakelands District school boards that assists in-risk students by helping them find their way to college.
• The Aboriginal and Student Diversity Centres.
• Entrepreneurial, Innovation and Creative spaces including the Spark Centre, which will expand applied research opportunities for students, faculty and small-and medium-sized businesses.
• Global, Open and Collaborative spaces that will enable faculty, students and the broader community to use technology in creative ways to gain unprecedented access to students, educators, thought leaders, subject matter experts and other visionaries from more than 40 countries around the world.
• Health science facilities including state-of-the art classrooms and labs; a spa focused on massage therapy, cosmetology and aesthetics; and programming centred around occupational therapy and physical therapy.
• Foundation programs designed to prepare students for the continuation of post-secondary education at college or university.
• Significant collaborative learning and social spaces for our students, faculty and community.

“These infrastructure investments will help create high-quality, well-paying jobs that can help the middle class grow and prosper today, while also delivering sustained economic growth in the Durham Region for years to come”, said MP Caesar-Chavannes. “Through the Strategic Investment Fund, we are strengthening the foundation for building Canada into a global centre for innovation.”

Since announcing plans to replace the aging Simcoe building in April, DC has made steady progress on plans for the CFCE. The construction and architecture tenders have been awarded and initial work is expected to begin this fall with construction to be completed in 2018. A comprehensive design consultation process involving the builder and architects is now underway with each of the services, programs and departments that will be moving into the CFCE.

“Durham College has long been a vital component of our community,” said Granville Anderson, MPP, Durham. “This significant investment from the provincial and federal governments, which supports expanded programming and enhances Durham’s state-of-the-art learning environment, provides the renewal necessary to continue that important work.”

The college will soon launch a capital campaign to raise the additional $5 million for the construction of the building in partnership with individuals, corporations, community partners and alumni over a two-year period.