Assiniboine Community College’s new hub for agricultural programming has been years in the making but, in a rare show of political common ground, all three of Manitoba’s major parties now say they’d like to help see the project done.
The college’s promised Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture came up Tuesday during a leaders’ debate in Brandon, hosted by the Brandon Chamber of Commerce.
The college’s campaign dates back to 2019. In 2020, they officially announced the new centre as part of a broader expansion of ag-related programming. The college’s new vision would feature mechatronics, chemical technology and food science. There would be advanced agribusiness courses and a new home for its existing programs on land and water management, horticulture, GIS and communications engineering technology.
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In total, the Brandon post-secondary institution said, it would increase its ag-related spaces from around 300 to 800. Within those seats, there would be more programming tailored specifically for the technical skill requirements required by the increasingly specialized and automated jobs in agriculture and agri-business. There would be more room for applied research. There would be hand-in-hand collaboration with industry.
The new centre, which would take over and upgrade a currently unused building on the college’s North Hill campus, was meant to be the core of all of it.
That initial plan put the centre’s price tag at $50 million, $10 million of which was earmarked for private fundraising. Since then, the budget has grown. The college later stepped up their fundraising goal to $15 million, and then more recently to $20 million.
As of January 2023, the college estimated the centre would cost $75 million. Local media more recently reported the budget close to $120 million.
This year, however, marked the first time the province put their wallet to the project. In mid-January, the province announced $10 million to help finalize the design of the centre and prepare the project for tender.
Election promises
That funding from the incumbent Progressive Conservatives is a positive sign for the party’s commitment to the project, should they be re-elected, ACC noted.
The PCs “fortified” that support with a commitment to a new 216-space early learning centre, to be part of the development at ACC’s North Hill campus, the college said in a later release.
The college was equally happy to see support from other main parties.
Manitoba’s NDP had sent the college a letter in September committing support for both the ag centre and childcare centre on the North Hill Campus, the school said.
Meanwhile, ACC noted, Liberal leader Dougald Lamont had previously advocated for federal government support of the project.
Both PC and Liberal leaders promised to help see the centre built during the Sept. 26 debate. The NDP, meanwhile, put a number to their commitment. Leader Wab Kinew promised $60 million.
“We’re heartened to see that while parties may be divided on certain issues, we’ve seen a unity of thought around a project whose time has come, with all parties in agreement that funding our Prairie Innovation Centre is an important step toward a better, stronger Manitoba,” college president Mark Frison said.
Manitobans go to the polls Oct. 3.
