Students and faculty at Canadian University College in Lacombe will find campus life getting a little more comfortable in the coming months.
Earlier this week, Wetaskiwin MP Blaine Calkins announced that the federal government will provide a matching grant of $227,000 to help the college upgrade its heating and cooling systems.
The existing system is inefficient and costly, so the upgrade will improve efficiency and reduce costs, CUC President Andrea Luxton said on Wednesday.
The college had applied for the mechanical upgrade as well as an expansion to its gym under the federal Knowledge Infrastructure Program, which is part of a two-year program to improve facilities at universities and colleges, Calkins said in a press release issued on Monday.
The program falls within the Conservative government’s larger economic stimulus plan.
Luxton said she does not believe the gym application will be approved, but is grateful for the money to help with the heating and cooling systems. The grant provides a significant boost to the college, which is currently in the process of upgrading all of its facilities, she said.
Most of the work on mechanical systems should be done during the coming year, said Luxton.
CUC enrolled 400 students for its fall term, which starts next week.