MAJOR COMMITMENT TO THE FUTURE OF HEALTH SCIENCES IN SASKATCHEWAN

The Government of Saskatchewan today announced an additional $100 million in funding for the University of Saskatchewan's Academic Health Sciences project.

The funding provides the university with the resources to proceed with the D-Wing phase of the project.

"The University of Saskatchewan is developing a world-class life sciences cluster that is unique in Canada," Advanced Education, Employment and Labour Minister Rob Norris said. "Life sciences are one of the most knowledge-intensive and research-rich sectors of the North American economy and represent an emerging opportunity for global economic competitiveness."

Once complete, the Academic Health Sciences complex will bring together the University's Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy and Nutrition, as well as the School of Physical Therapy and the new School of Public Health. In addition, the facility will enable collaborative research with the Colleges of Kinesiology, Veterinary Medicine, Engineering, Arts and Science, as well the Canadian Light Source (CLS) and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO).

"We are very pleased to partner with the province on this monumental project and are grateful for the generous support," University of Saskatchewan President Peter MacKinnon said. "While the facility itself will be impressive, it is more than a building project, it is an essential element in the Province's approach to health services. The research, teaching and learning practices it will accommodate will attract outstanding medical and health specialists to lead discovery of treatments and approaches to contemporary health issues, as well as practice in our community."

"This project advances the interests of the Province on three fronts," Norris said. "First, it helps to secure accreditation for the College of Medicine; second, it will accommodate an increase in the number of seats to train health professionals in the province; and third, it will help to further build the province's growing knowledge economy."

With the new funding in place, Graham Construction and Engineering, the project's successful bidder, is expected to begin construction on D-Wing in September.

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For more information, contact:

Herman Hulshof
AEEL
Regina
Phone: 787-9715
Email: herman.hulshof@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 526-6815

 Patty Martin
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon
Phone: 966-6607