HANSARD
Report from the Government Relations Office
Summer 2010
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Federal MPs Tour Fort Garry Campus
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Finance Committee to Consider Charities Bill C-470, An Act to amend the
Income Tax Act
Protocol Reference
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Helping Canadian Universities engage with India
Upcoming Events
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Helping Aboriginal Students Succeed
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University of Manitoba bridge to professional accounting pilot project
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Presentation to Senate Committees
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Trees for Smartpark
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KIP project update
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Churchill visit recap
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Quick facts Canadian Universities
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City of Winnipeg municipal election
Federal MPs Tour Fort Garry Campus
On May 17, Government Relations hosted six MPs on campus who are all members of
the federal governments Post-Secondary Education Caucus. The caucus is chaired by
Rod Bruinooge, MP, and Winnipeg South. All visiting MPs have universities in their
ridings. The MPs toured the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and the ISIS
Canada Research Centre and heard presentations by John Alho, Associate VicePresident (External) and Gary Breit, Executive Director, Technology Transfer. The MPs
concluded their visit by attending the CERC announcement in the Engineering Atrium.
UK Consul General Tour
On May 28, Government Relations organized a campus visit by Jonathon Dart, UK
Consul General in Canada. The purpose of the visit was to establish contacts to
further trade opportunities between Britain and Canada .Mr. Dart toured the
Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Cangene Corporation in Smartpark and
engaged in discussions with John Alho and Gary Breit. Later Mr. Dart had a round
table meeting with academics from various faculties in the office of International
Relations to discuss issues of common interest between Canada and the UK.
Finance Committee to Consider Charities Bill C-470, An Act to amend the Income
Tax Act
MP Albina Guarnieri has tabled a Private Members’ Bill C-470 to amend the income
tax act to give the Minister of National Revenue the discretion to revoke the
registration of a charitable organization, a public foundation, or a private foundation
if it pays to a single executive or employee annual compensation exceeding $250,000.
If approved by parliament, the bill would also apply to universities. The bill has been
referred to the Standing Committee on Finance for review.
Helping Canadian Universities engage with India
On June 9 and 10, AUCC hosted a workshop for Canadian, international and Indian
experts to explore successful models of engagement with the Indian higher education
sector. The conference provided a lead up event to an AUCC and university
presidents’ mission to India in November 2010.
For more information on the India mission, please contact Gail Bowkett
Helping Aboriginal Students Succeed
AUCC has updated an inventory of Canadian university programs that offer support
and assistance to Aboriginal students. The 2010 analysis provides an overview of
academic, administrative, service and related initiatives aimed at successful outcomes
for Aboriginal students at about 50 universities across Canada.
University of Manitoba bridge to professional accounting pilot project
U of M news release Federal Government news release
Presentation to Senate Committees
In April AUCC President, Paul Davidson, made a presentation to the Senate
Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade highlighting Canadian
universities’ contributions to Canada’s foreign policy and the need to do more to
support the recruitment efforts of International students.
In May, in a presentation to the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and
Technology, Mr. Davidson discussed how higher education helps position Canada for
a successful future and how universities help fuel Canada’s economy.
Trees for Smartpark
Government Relations was successful in linking Smartpark with the Trees for
Tomorrow program launched by Conservation Manitoba with the goal of planting five
million trees over five years. Over 13,000 of those tree seedlings will be planted in
Smartpark this year and next to assist with the greening and landscaping of that area
of the campus. The rainy weather in June delayed plans but by July 4,500 seedlings
had been planted and with the remainder to arrive next year. Trees for Tomorrow
have also provided 25 mature white spruce trees to assist with landscaping at
Smartpark.
KIP project update
Under Canada’s Economic Action Plan the University of Manitoba received $32 million
to help support seven infrastructure projects at both the Fort Garry and Bannatyne
campuses. Here is an update on the status of each project.
ArtLab - $30M project. Excavation and piling work well underway. Project is
10% completed.
Biological Sciences Building - $13.26M project converting the former
pharmacy building. Project is 15% complete.
Buller Building Science Lab - $4.75M project to complete interior and exterior
renovation work on this facility. Project is 28% complete.
Neil John Maclean Library - $2.74M project to expand the medicine library.
Project is 44% complete.
Regenerative Medicine - $5M project to renovate space to accommodate
program – Phase 1- 100% complete. Other phase work underway.
Smartpark Lake 2 - $2.55M project. Construction is 100% complete.
Naturalization phase underway.
Eureka Incubator - $3.2M project. Expansion of incubator is 100% complete.
Phase 2 construction of venue centre about to be tendered.
Churchill visit recap
On July 20 a group from the University of Manitoba along with several government
officials and other guests travelled to Churchill to board and tour the Canadian icebreaker vessel the Amunsen which was in port for the day. The Amunsen is the
research ship which transports scientists into the high Arctic Ocean to conduct studies
on ice conditions and the affects of climate change. The ship left port for a brief
journey out to sea where Dr. David Barber, Director of the Centre for Earth
Observation Science and Dr. Gary Stern demonstrated some of the scientific research
work which is taking place in Hudson’s Bay.
Link to photos
Quick facts Canadian Universities
Fast Facts booklet
City of Winnipeg municipal election
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