Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable Blaine Higgs, Premier of New Brunswick, Wayne Long, Member of Parliament for Saint John-Rothesay, the Honourable Trevor Holder, Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, Dr. Paul Mazerolle, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of New Brunswick, and Dr. Petra Hauf, Vice-President Saint John of the University of New Brunswick, announced $38 million in joint funding for the construction of the Health and Social Innovation Centre at the University of New Brunswick (UNB)'s Saint John campus.
This project involves the demolition of the vacant Ward Chipman Library and the construction of a new 65,000-square-foot, three and a half-story building that will become the Health and Social Innovation Centre. The new building will be connected to nearby walking paths, an underground tunnel system, and a ring road overlooking the campus quad and the Kennebecasis River.
The new Centre will be designed and built to maintain a low carbon footprint through green building standards and aim for a LEED certification. The Health and Social Innovation Centre will improve community access to state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities, as well as informal learning and study spaces, while supporting a sustainable and energy efficient campus.
With this new facility, UNB Saint John will become a hub for healthcare research and innovation, further attracting students to healthcare as a field of study and a profession. It will strengthen the province's healthcare system and benefit all New Brunswickers.
By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country's economy, increasing the resiliency of our communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.
