Our two official languages are an integral part of our Canadian identity and bring us economic, social and cultural advantages. The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that all Canadians can learn in the official language of their choice. This is why we support the post-secondary institutions that are essential to the vitality and development of the country's French-speaking communities.
Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, along with the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Member of Parliament (Saint Boniface-Saint Vital), and the Honourable Jon Reyes, Manitoba Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration, announced significant funding for two infrastructure projects at Université de Saint-Boniface.
The Government of Canada is announcing an investment of $1.935 million over two years to renovate and upgrade two chemistry teaching laboratories, the research and instrumentation laboratory, and storage and preparation rooms in the Experimental Sciences Department of the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Science. Furnishings in the spaces and a range of specialized equipment essential for teaching and research will also be replaced by modern equipment. The Government of Manitoba is supporting the project through the Canada-Manitoba agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second-Official Language Instruction 2020-21 to 2022-23, and the Université de Saint-Boniface is providing $1.935 million to the project over two years.
Université de Saint-Boniface will also benefit from excellent, modern spaces in the hall of the Faculty of Education thanks to an additional $286,631 in funding from the Government of Canada and the same amount from Université de Saint-Boniface, supported by the Government of Manitoba. Modernizing this site will allow the university to offer its students a high-quality education, in addition to ensuring the vitality of Franco-Manitoban culture throughout the institution.
