{"id":64141,"date":"2020-02-21T17:31:24","date_gmt":"2020-02-21T22:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=64141"},"modified":"2020-12-09T10:58:37","modified_gmt":"2020-12-09T15:58:37","slug":"brock-linc-opening-signals-new-era-of-community-engagement-for-brock-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2020\/02\/brock-linc-opening-signals-new-era-of-community-engagement-for-brock-university\/","title":{"rendered":"Brock LINC opening signals new era of community engagement for Brock University"},"content":{"rendered":"

From brainstorming an idea to producing a prototype with a 3D printer to testing out consumer reaction in a virtual reality lab, the Brock LINC presents a world of opportunities for entrepreneurs and researchers alike.<\/p>\n

Whether those ideas come from the minds of students, researchers or community members, the doors are now open \u2014 both literally and figuratively \u2014 to a transformational new innovation space at Brock University.<\/p>\n

Brock students, faculty and staff joined officials from all levels of government on Friday, Feb. 21 to officially open the Brock LINC, which stands for Learn, Innovate, Network and Collaborate.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, we celebrate the dawn of a new era of possibility for the Niagara region,\u201d Brock University President Gervan Fearon said during the ceremony. \u201cOur key priorities involve fostering a culture of inclusivity and accessibility, offering a transformational university experience, building Brock\u2019s research capacity, and enhancing the vitality of communities in Niagara and beyond. The Brock LINC is a catalyst to help us achieve all of those goals and we have many of you here today to thank for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The $19-million Brock LINC project, first announced in 2016, moved forward with funding from both the federal and provincial governments, as well as from the University itself and the generous donations of community partners such as Tom Rankin, for whom the Rankin Family Pavilion in which the Brock LINC is housed, is named.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cModern learning spaces play a critical part in supporting skills development to prepare students for the jobs of today and tomorrow,\u201d said Hon. Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. \u201cThis important investment at Brock University will help students advance the next generation of leading-edge research and innovation in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n

The construction project involved converting the former open-air pedestrian mall in front of Schmon Tower into a 41,000-square-foot research, innovation and commercialization centre. The two-storey building includes: open spaces for networking and collaboration; a new makerspace to design, build and prototype; cutting-edge labs for digital scholarship and virtual reality research; entrepreneurial space for early-stage business ideas and start-ups; and multi-purpose rooms and meeting spaces for learning and sharing.<\/p>\n

To create those spaces, contractors faced the extremely complex challenge of marrying a modern glass and steel structure to the 52-year-old concrete tower and surrounding buildings.<\/p>\n

It took some time, but it was worth the wait.<\/p>\n

\u201cInvesting in the success of our students is an investment into all of our futures,\u201d said Hon. Ross Romano, Minister of Colleges and Universities. \u201cProjects like Brock LINC will ensure that students in Niagara have access to learning environments that will encourage collaboration, resourcefulness, and gives the skills and training they need to meet the labour market needs in the Niagara region.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new facilities will provide the Brock community with space to experience and experiment with entrepreneurship and will add a strategic asset within Niagara\u2019s innovation ecosystem that supports a greater number of research and development partnerships between Brock and Niagara\u2019s businesses and social organizations. Brock is known for its leadership in experiential and co-op education, and the Brock LINC will advance entrepreneurial teaching and learning at the University.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Friday\u2019s ceremony also served as a celebration to mark the completion of Brock\u2019s District Energy Efficiency Project (DEEP).<\/p>\n

Located in the Central Utilities Building along the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, Brock\u2019s 25-year-old co-generation engines have been replaced with state-of-the-art energy efficient units, which provide a reliable source of electricity, cooling and heating on campus.<\/p>\n

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Friday, Feb. 21 also marked the completion of Brock\u2019s District Energy Efficiency Project. Pictured cutting the ribbon are Brock Vice-President, Academic Greg Finn, Brock Board of Trustees Chair Gary Comerford, Brock Vice-President, Research Tim Kenyon, Brock Senior Associate Vice-President of Operations and Infrastructure Services Scott Johnstone, Minister of International Development the Hon. Karina Gould, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Colleges and Universities David Piccini, Brock President Gervan Fearon, Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey, Niagara Falls MP Tony Baldinelli and Brock University Graduate Students\u2019 Association President Christopher Yendt.<\/p><\/div>\n

For the first phase of the project, the University received nearly $5.2\u00a0million\u00a0in funding from the Government of Canada\u2019s Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment. Brock also contributed $5.4 million, which included its annual allotment of deferred maintenance from the Government of Ontario. These funds allowed Brock to update the facility\u2019s gas-powered engines and controls, as well as chillers and water lines, replacing them with newer, more efficient units and reducing Brock\u2019s carbon output.<\/p>\n

The second phase of the project was funded by the Government of Ontario, which provided $7.9 million through the Greenhouse Gas Campus Retrofits Program Innovation Grant Fund. This phase completed the modernization of the co-generation plant, including the replacement of the remaining four engines with two high-efficiency engines and a new energy efficient chiller.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy conducting a massive overhaul to our on-site district energy system, the DEEP project significantly improves Brock\u2019s energy efficiency, lowers our emissions and puts us on track to meeting our environmental sustainability goals,\u201d said Scott Johnstone, Senior Associate Vice-President of Operations and Infrastructure Services at Brock. \u201cIt also creates a resilient energy system supplying reliable electricity, heat and cooling to our growing campus, which will support the Brock community for decades to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

The completed DEEP project has resulted in an 85 per cent decrease in Brock\u2019s NOx emissions and a 25 per cent reduction in carbon emissions. The new co-generation engines also consume 26 per cent less fuel and result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in utility cost savings each year.<\/p>\n