May 24, 2023. OTTAWA, ONTARIO — Canada’s ability to innovate relies on applied research taking place at colleges across the country. Whether that research supports the bioremediation of contaminated industrial sites or increases the competitiveness of Canadian companies in the bioresources sector, colleges provide businesses and organizations in the public, private and non-profit sectors access to the knowledge, skills and equipment they need to stay ahead. The Government of Canada is committed to fostering collaborations between colleges and these sectors to help cement Canada’s position as a world leader in innovation. 

Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced investments through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) College Fund of close to $16 million for 17 research infrastructure projects at 14 colleges across the country that will support productive partnerships within Canadian industries and communities.  

The funding will allow colleges to obtain the state-of-the-art labs and equipment their researchers need to advance innovative ideas, which will ultimately help address the social, economic, health and environmental needs facing our society. 

Among the colleges receiving funding through the CFI’s College Fund are:   

• Lambton College (Sarnia, Ontario): Supporting Canada’s food and beverage industries 
  New infrastructure will help the Lambton Food and Beverage Research Laboratory support food and beverage companies to innovate and adapt their processes to new customer trends, including food health and safety requirements. This investment will also assist the laboratory in training high-quality, career-ready workers. 
• Northern Alberta Institute for Technology (NAIT) (Edmonton, Alberta): Boosting local partnerships to preserve boreal ecosystems 
  Enhancements to the NAIT Centre for Boreal Research will bolster its ability to support Northern Albertan companies and their partners, including First Nations communities, to develop and implement effective and cost-efficient land reclamation strategies to reach climate change goals and actively maintain the critical boreal ecosystem. 
• Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy (Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Quebec): Preparing for emergencies to keep Canadians safe 
  These investments in specialized equipment for an open-air, experimental research site will advance an innovative research program that addresses major societal challenges in civil security and emergency response, including preparation for natural disasters such as floods and wildfires, and recovery from emergencies such as power outages. The program will identify risks, reduce the probability of occurrence of hazards and mitigate their effects, and allow for applied research projects, training, knowledge transfer and innovative services to help keep Canadians safe.  

Read the full story here.