Lakeland College receives $17.3M in Government funding
Earlier this month, the Government of Alberta announced $17.3M in funding for Lakeland College.
The funds will be used in capital maintenance and renewal funds to invest in the WHT Mead Animal Science Centre. This will also create new jobs within the area and enhance student led learning in commercial agriculture.
“Lakeland College is a great asset for Vermilion and the surrounding region. The institution provides students the opportunity to live, learn and work in rural Alberta. Students today, like the ones at Lakeland College, are the workforce of Alberta’s tomorrow. Lakeland College has shown exceptional community leadership, and with the modernizing of the Mead Building, will continue to do so well into the future. I look forward to visiting with students and staff while enjoying the comfortable and productive space this revitalization provides,” said Garth Rowswell, MLA for Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright.
The funds also allow the college to expand the facility to make sure students continue to have modern spaces for learning and innovation, as well as accommodate new programs and increase enrolment.
“On behalf of Lakeland College, thank you to the Alberta government for investing in our students – our province’s up-and-coming leaders – as well as our campus community. The 100 jobs this project will create is welcome news for our local region. This support opens another chapter of innovation and investment for Lakeland’s award-winning programs,” said Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president and CEO of Lakeland College. “Over the last four years, Lakeland has celebrated the expansion of the Vermilion campus farm and the upcoming addition of a bison operation, as well as the official opening of both a new Animal Health Clinic and Dairy Learning Centre, plus the modernization of our G.N. Sweet Livestock Research Facility and Academic Link. We’re excited to see our growth continue with the government’s investment in this teaching facility. This, combined with future farm upgrades and our new Centre for Ag Technology, will ensure Lakeland remains a global leader in agricultural education.”
Since 2010, enrolment in agricultural sciences has grown 100 per cent at the college and the WHT Mead Animal Science Centre is accessed by 550-plus agricultural science students annually.