Premier Stelmach digs into South Campus construction site

Premier Ed Stelmach jumped into a backhoe and deftly manoeuvred the controls, digging the bucket into the ground where South Campus will stand.
Bow Valley College (BVC) held a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday, marking the first dirt shoveled at the construction site.

Premier Ed Stelmach brings greetings from the Province of Alberta yesterday, during Bow Valley College's groundbreaking ceremony for South Campus.
“It’s wonderful to be here to help start a new chapter in education for Alberta,” said Premier Stelmach. “There’s no question a strong, knowledge-based economy is what will bring our province continued success — and even greater success in the future.
“Our potential lies within the mind and between the hands of our students, whom I had the opportunity to meet earlier. It is so important they have the opportunity to make their educational dreams a reality.”

Premier Ed Stelmach brings greetings from the Province of Alberta yesterday,

during Bow Valley College's groundbreaking ceremony for South Campus.

South Campus, a $193-million endeavour, will add to BVC 144,000 square feet of space on four fully developed floors. The project, funded by Alberta Advanced Educaton and Technology, BVC, and the City of Calgary, also allows for three additional floors to accommodate future growth needs.
With construction due to start in August, South Campus willopen in 2013 and provide street-level access from the C-train to career development and placement services, a bookstore, and the Aboriginal Centre.
It also will house classrooms, study areas and student gathering spaces, executive and administrative offices, plus three floors of expansion space which will be available for use by several academic partners. This afternoon, Bow Valley College will sign a memorandum of understanding with University of Lethbridge to explore opportunities for future use of a portion of space, shared program development, and transfer/articulation agreements
“Those familiar with the history of Bow Valley College will know that when we started in the early 1960s, we not only fought hard for classroom space, but also for our very existence, our place in the post-secondary landscape within the city and the province,” said Sharon Carry, BVC President and CEO.
“In the years since, the clear, long-term vision of our founders about adult learners has been proven right time and again. As a result we now find ourselves with a wonderful challenge — the challenge of keeping up with demand of our services.”
Applications to BVC programs have increased dramatically for the September 2009 trimester.
In conjunction with the redevelopment of North Campus, the South Campus construction confirms BVC’s reputation as a good steward of the environment in which learning takes place, Sharon said.
The province, Premier Stelmach added, needs the skills individuals will have following their graduation from BVC.
“The College is helping to ensure today’s and tomorrow’s work force will have the skills employers are looking for,” he said. “This expansion promises to give even more students the opportunity to access the education they want and the education they need — right in the heart of the city.”
Board of Governors Chair Scott Thon, BVC alumni Joshua Curly Rider, Kainai Nation Elder John Chiefmoon Sr. and City of Calgary Deputy Mayor Linda Fox-Mellway also took part in the groundbreaking ceremony.
For more information on today’s groundbreaking ceremony, find links to the news release and the archive of today’s live webcast on our expansion news page.

John Chiefmoon Sr., an Elder with Kainai Nation, blesses the future site of Bow Valley College's South Campus.

Re-posted with the permission of Marketing and Communications at Bow Valley College


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