Casa Loma campus’ Green Building Centre is supporting Canada’s growing green and smart building market
The ribbon cutting marked the of the opening of the Green Building Centre at Casa Loma campus on Nov. 10. From Left to Right: Robert Luke; Gary Goodyear; Bernard Trottier; Trudy Puls; Jamie McIntyre; Laura Jo Gunter; Brad Shapiro.
Photo: Aneesa Mustapha/The Dialog
On Nov. 10, George Brown College (GBC) celebrated the official opening of the new and innovative Green Building Centre in the centre for construction and engineering technologies at Casa Loma campus.
Industry partners, members of government, faculty and students cut the ribbon for the new applied research facility that will act as a hub in connecting students with industry partners to develop state of the art, environmentally friendly, and energy efficient practices and products.
“The days of students grinding metal in the hallways are over,” said Jamie McIntyre, co-ordinator for the mechanical engineering design program.
The morning began with a tour where industry and government investors got a firsthand look at the technology and new spaces that will be used by students.
Laura Jo Gunter, senior vice president of academic at GBC, praised the Federal Economic Development Agency for southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) for their $6.6 million contribution, as well as the college’s other generous industry partners. George Brown invested $6.8 million, which was matched by FedDev Ontario.
Gunter also highlighted that George Brown was ranked third in research funding in Canada, and the only college in Ontario to rank in the top five.
Minister of State Gary Goodyear, for FedDev Ontario, and Bernard Trottier, MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, also extended their congratulations to the college for their work in green innovation and technology.
“I want to congratulate George Brown because what I see this morning is a perfect example of where we need to be as a nation,” said Goodyear.
Members of industry and government also heard firsthand from a student on how their contributions are benefitting students.
Brad Shapiro, a third year construction management student, stressed the importance of industry connections and working with faculty, hoping it will improve his jobs prospects after graduation.
“It’s been a good experience to gain some insight correlating my in-classroom experiences with real projects, with real deadlines and paying clients,” said Shapiro.
