By Spencer Sterritt

Nearly $40 mil for new Health and Science Centre at VIU

Jan 20, 2017 | 3:22 PM

NANAIMO — By the end of next year, nursing and science students at Vancouver Island University’s Nanaimo campus will have a brand new facility to learn in.

A new Health and Sciences Centre was announced Friday at the university. The project, which is expected to see construction start in fall of 2017, costs just shy of $40 million and is the largest capital project for the university.

Though she will have graduated by the time the facility is complete, third year nursing student Sherina Goglin said she’s excited for incoming and younger students to experience their expanded laboratories and classrooms.

“Right now we’re kind of crowded in one building on top of each other, so this will give us a chance to spread out,” she said.

Goglin said now more than ever nursing students have to have a leg-up when they graduate.

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“I don’t think it’s a secret that not only is the population older, so they have more health issues, but also nurses will be retiring,” she said. “Students are really going to have to be better prepared to hit the ground running when they graduate and I think this is a great way to support them.”

The centre will house all of the current nursing programs, new simulation labs and also space for sciences programs such as chemistry and environmental sciences.

Ralph Nilson, university president and vice-chancellor, said he was excited to finally announce the long-gestating development.

“We don’t have updated science labs at our institution, so we’re very excited about what this opportunity provides.”

The centre will provide new innovative space for students to learn, but will also be a place for teachers and professors to expand their teachings to keep students on the cutting edge, Nilson said.

Program expansion and enhancement is a priority, Nilson said, and they’ll look to add new programs to meet the demand.

The Health and Sciences Centre is funded through the Infrastructure Canada program between the federal and provincial governments, with the university handling roughly 10 per cent of the total cost.

Just last month, the university saw a $22.4 million investment to upgrade and expand the Marine, Automotive and Trades Complex.

With this announcement, $44.3 million will be invested in the university.