News

  • Brock LINC opening signals new era of community engagement for Brock University


    It was a packed house as Brock University officially opened the Brock LINC on Friday, Feb. 21. The innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration hub is housed within the Rankin Family Pavilion at the base of Schmon Tower.
    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.

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

    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.

    “Today, we celebrate the dawn of a new era of possibility for the Niagara region,” Brock University President Gervan Fearon said during the ceremony. “Our key priorities involve fostering a culture of inclusivity and accessibility, offering a transformational university experience, building Brock’s 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.”

    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.

    “Modern learning spaces play a critical part in supporting skills development to prepare students for the jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Hon. Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “This important investment at Brock University will help students advance the next generation of leading-edge research and innovation in Canada.”

    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.

    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.

    It took some time, but it was worth the wait.

    “Investing in the success of our students is an investment into all of our futures,” said Hon. Ross Romano, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “Projects 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.”

    The new facilities will provide the Brock community with space to experience and experiment with entrepreneurship and will add a strategic asset within Niagara’s innovation ecosystem that supports a greater number of research and development partnerships between Brock and Niagara’s 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.

    * * *

    Friday’s ceremony also served as a celebration to mark the completion of Brock’s District Energy Efficiency Project (DEEP).

    Located in the Central Utilities Building along the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, Brock’s 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.

    Friday, Feb. 21 also marked the completion of Brock’s 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’ Association President Christopher Yendt.
    For the first phase of the project, the University received nearly $5.2 million in funding from the Government of Canada’s 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’s gas-powered engines and controls, as well as chillers and water lines, replacing them with newer, more efficient units and reducing Brock’s carbon output.

    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.

    “By conducting a massive overhaul to our on-site district energy system, the DEEP project significantly improves Brock’s energy efficiency, lowers our emissions and puts us on track to meeting our environmental sustainability goals,” said Scott Johnstone, Senior Associate Vice-President of Operations and Infrastructure Services at Brock. “It 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.”

    The completed DEEP project has resulted in an 85 per cent decrease in Brock’s 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.

    Additional Quotes:

    Hon. Karina Gould, Minister of International Development

    “The Brock LINC and the upgrades to the co-generation facility are two direct success stories of the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund. As a result of our government’s investment, students, teachers and researchers will now work in state-of-the-art facilities that advance our country’s best research and continue to allow Canada to be a world leader in turning ideas into solutions.”

    Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament, Niagara Centre

    “It’s always a pleasure to partner with Brock University to enhance the educational experience for our students. Investment in education is one of the keys to ensuring the longstanding success and prosperity of the Niagara region.”

    Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament, St. Catharines

    “Brock LINC is an entrepreneurial space that will challenge the next generation of innovators to create solutions to real-world problems. This space provides an incredible opportunity for students to turn ideas into inventions, turn solutions into action and apply research in a new way that will not only benefit their studies, it will benefit the Niagara community, our country and our world.”

    Hon. Prabmeet Sarkaria, Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction

    “Innovation will be a key driver of Ontario’s economic growth and development in the years ahead, and Brock University’s LINC initiative is helping build the Ontario of tomorrow, today. By creating a dedicated space that supports innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration, Brock is creating fertile ground for the ideas that will help shape Ontario’s future.”

    David Piccini, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Colleges and Universities
    “I am thrilled to be here at Brock University to highlight the important investment our government is making to upgrade equipment and fund innovative research. The opening of Brock LINC is an exciting time for Brock and the Niagara region and will broaden horizons for our next generation and better prepare them for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

    Tim Kenyon, Vice-President, Research, Brock University

    “Brock LINC is about making connections that would otherwise have been unlikely. Its facilities and programs will link creativity with application and researcher expertise with entrepreneurial opportunity. Partnerships with our researchers enable solutions to problems and development of ideas in new and sometimes unexpected directions.”

    Farzana Crocco, Brock LINC Executive Director

    “The Brock LINC is where innovation, research and entrepreneurship converge at the University,” she said. “While the resources in each of these areas are numerous at Brock, there has never been a central place to access them or explore how they can work together. The Brock LINC provides that central point of access to navigate what’s available, but will also build programs to connect different parts of the University in new and interesting ways.”

    Categories: Government Support

  • Niagara Regional Council Meeting

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  • St. Catharines City Council Meeting

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  • Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake — Council Meeting

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  • Our Home with Mayor Sendzik — Dr. Gervan Fearon, Brock University

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  • Governments of Canada and Ontario invest $16 million in innovation complex and energy efficiency infrastructure

    On November 3, 2016 the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and the Honourable Deb Matthews, Ontario’s Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development were at Brock University along with Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey, St. Catharines MP Chris Bittle, and St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley to announce funding in support of the Brock LINC and Brock’s District Energy Efficiency Project.

    Minister Bains announced that the Government of Canada will commit nearly $8.5 million toward the $19-million Brock LINC through the Government of Canada’s Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund (SIF).

    The Brock LINC will be a striking two-storey innovation complex that will provide much-needed space to nurture Niagara’s growing culture of innovation. It will provide students with the space to experience and experiment with entrepreneurship and will add a strategic asset within Niagara’s innovation ecosystem that supports a greater number of research and development partnerships between Brock and Niagara’s businesses and social organizations. The LINC’s contemporary design will dramatically change Brock’s iconic Schmon Tower, converting an open-air pedestrian mall into a modern, purpose-built 41,000-square-foot innovation centre that places research, commercialization, entrepreneurship and innovation at the entranceway to the University.

    Minister Bains and Minister Matthews also announced a $7.8 million federal and provincial investment in Brock’s district energy facility, which included a $5.2-million federal investment through SIF and a $2.6-million provincial investment. Federal and provincial investments will accelerate priority upgrades for Brock’s co-generation facility and associated utility distribution system. In turn, they will support the reduction of the University’s GHG emissions.

    Brock’s co-generation facility provides a reliable and energy-efficient source of electricity, cooling and heating for the University. Federal and provincial investments will ensure the long-term viability and efficiency of Brock’s co-generation facility. They will help Brock meet its own sustainability targets while also putting the University in a better position to contribute to sustainability and climate change goals locally, provincially and nationally.

    Brock University would like to thank the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario for their generous investments in the Brock LINC and the University’s district energy facility.

    Categories: Government Support

  • Province commits $10-million to expand Goodman School of Business

    Brock University deeply appreciates the Ontario government’s $10-million investment for the expansion and renovation of the Goodman School of Business, which was announced in the 2015 Ontario budget on April 23, 2015.

    Brock President Jack Lightstone expressed delight at the announcement, calling it “a visionary judgment that recognizes the key partnership role Brock plays with our host communities in the Niagara region.”

    Lightstone said he was once again humbled by the support of St. Catharines’ MPP, the Honourable Jim Bradley, for supporting this proposal. He also thanked the Honourable Reza Moridi, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, for recognizing the importance of the project.

    “Brock is thrilled with the province’s investment in Niagara,” said Lightstone. “It is tremendous to see the government invest in the Goodman School to complement the transformative gift of Ned Goodman and the Goodman family.

    “A year ago Brock signed a Strategic Mandate Agreement with the Ontario government, in which the government affirmed Brock’s mission, its special strengths, and areas of growth and expansion. The Goodman School of Business was explicitly mentioned in our SMA.”

    Brock already has Canada’s largest business co-op program, and the improved facilities will allow Goodman to maintain its international standing and continue to attract some of the brightest minds in the country.

    Don Cyr, Dean of the Goodman School of Business, praised the government’s decision and called it tremendous news for faculty and students.

    “We are deeply gratified,” said Cyr. “The Goodman School of Business has well exceeded capacity in our current building, and our students and faculty will get a learning environment that reflects the dynamic, innovative school that is Goodman. We look forward to working with the government and all of our partners on the next steps.”

    Categories: Government Support

  • Government of Ontario provides $197,048 to expand on-campus mental health support

    Brock University is partnering with the Government of Ontario to ensure that the mental health needs of postsecondary students are being met.

    In October 2013, as part of the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities’ efforts to strengthen mental health support across the province, the Ministry announced that Brock University would receive $197,048 to develop compressed online training sessions for teaching assistants, residence assistants and peer educators, as well as psycho-educational group information and skill development sessions targeted to the needs of students.

    The More Feet on Ground Campaign will be developed by Brock in partnership with Niagara College and leading mental health and addictions service providers in Niagara. By responding directly to the unique needs of postsecondary students and the postsecondary environment, the campaign will empower students through an extended circle of support that provides the role models they can relate to as well as the knowledge and skills to better manage their own mental health and wellness needs.

    Brock is thankful for the support of the Government of Ontario. This type of partnership ensures that postsecondary students across Niagara will have access to the mental health and addiction support they require.

    Categories: Government Support

  • Government of Ontario providing $377,964 funding for mental health portal

    Brock University is partnering with the Government of Ontario to ensure that the mental health needs of post-secondary students are being met.

    On March 26, 2013, as part of the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities’ efforts to strengthen mental health support across the province, the Ministry announced that Brock University would be receiving $377,964 to develop an online portal and face-to-face information sessions designed to address the mental health and addictions concerns of post-secondary students.

    The Holistic Wellness Initiative, developed in partnership with Niagara College, will be built upon Aboriginal understanding of wellness. The program will begin with a focus on Aboriginal, Métis, and Inuit students and in 2014 will be expanded to include all post-secondary students across Niagara.

    The program is expected to greatly increase the access that post-secondary students in Niagara have to important mental health and addiction services. Mental health plays a major part in the quality of student life and the portal will make sure that this prominent concern is effectively addressed.

    Brock is thankful for the support of the Government of Ontario. This type of partnership ensures that post-secondary students across Niagara will have access to the mental health and addiction services they require.

    Categories: Government Support

  • War of 1812 Exhibit receives $90,000 federal funding

    Local history is coming alive at the St. Catharines Museum, thanks to the efforts of Brock University and the City of St. Catharines and the support of the Government of Canada.

    On January 25, 2013 St Catharines M.P. Rick Dykstra announced that Brock would be receiving $90,000 from Heritage Canada’s 1812 Commemoration Fund for the creation of a War of 1812 exhibit in the St. Catharines Museum.

    This exhibit represents an opportunity to increase awareness and understanding of the War of 1812.  Brock students and Niagara residents alike will be given the opportunity to learn about the conflict and the role it played in the history of both the region and the nation. The exhibit is expected to attract an upwards of 250,000 visitors, which allows for a unique learning experience brought about by the many skilled archivists and researchers of the University and St. Catharines Museum.

    Brock is thankful for the support and partnership of the Government of Canada. This exhibit will have a lasting impact across Niagara.

    Categories: Government Support