VIU funding left in limbo

No federal or provincial dollars have turned up to help finance Vancouver Island University’s plans to replace aging buildings at the Nanaimo campus.

Ric Kelm, director of facilities services and campus development, hoped the $160-million Phase 1 of the Nanaimo campus master plan would receive some funds through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, a two-year, $2-billion program to support infrastructure enhancement at post-secondary institutions across Canada.

While the university received funding to build a new Cowichan campus in the first round of the program’s handouts and the Powell River campus received money to build a new trades training facility in August, the Nanaimo campus application was not approved.

In the meantime, the university’s president and board are exploring other options, such as private partnerships and further lobbying of the province.

VIU’s Nanaimo campus master plan, which will guide the next 50 years at the university, was approved last January.

Kelm said he applied for funding for Phase 1 of the master plan, which includes a new science and health building, a sports health and wellness centre to replace the institution’s current gym, replacing the aging student services, student union and main administrative buildings with a single building and a new transit exchange and university entrance accessed by Third and Fourth streets.

Kelm said audits of existing buildings, many of which were built in the 1970s or earlier, found it would be cheaper to replace them rather than renovate.

Phases two and three continue with replacing old facilities, such as the arts and performing arts buildings and trade buildings.

For more information, please go to www.viu.ca/masterplan/index.asp.

reporter@nanaimobulletin.com

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