Western Standard - Investing in MacEwan and downtown revitalization.

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00:09:30.000 Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon. My name is Dr. Craig Monk, Provost and Vice President Academic at McEwen University, and I'll be your MC for today's announcement.

00:09:44.020 I'm so pleased to welcome you here, a fitting place, we believe, to talk about important steps.

00:09:51.420 My name is Dr. Craig Monk, Provost and Vice President Academic at McEwen University, and I'll be your MC for today's announcement.

00:09:58.480 I'm so pleased to welcome you here, a fitting place, we believe, to talk about important

00:10:04.720 standards of Edmonton's downtown and to the economic prosperity of our community.

00:10:10.180 It's a topic we're passionate about here at McEwen.

00:10:13.640 Our university is powered by place.

00:10:16.680 This institution is embedded and invested in the city center, grounded in the history

00:10:21.740 of the old rail yards on which our campus stands, and committed to the role we play

00:10:27.100 in the future of Ward O'Daymon. Honouring our place in O'Daymon, something stamped throughout

00:10:32.780 our strategic vision, means a great deal to me personally. So with that, I'd like to begin our

00:10:38.860 time together in a good way by acknowledging that the land on which we gather in Treaty 6 territory

00:10:44.260 is the traditional gathering place for many Indigenous people. We honour and respect the

00:10:50.120 history, languages, ceremonies, and culture of the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit called this

00:10:56.520 territory home. The First Peoples' connection to the land teaches us about

00:11:00.720 our inherent responsibility to protect and respect Mother Earth. With this

00:11:05.220 acknowledgement, we honor the ancestors and children who've been buried here,

00:11:08.400 missing and murdered indigenous women and men, and the process of ongoing

00:11:12.600 collective healing for all human beings. We are reminded that we're all treaty

00:11:17.700 people and of the responsibility we have to one another. I think you'll find that

00:11:22.920 place is a thread that weaves itself through the exciting news we have to share today we are

00:11:29.000 thrilled to announce that pre-construction work on the university's new school of business building

00:11:33.640 is complete and that we're on track to get shovels in the ground early in 2024 this yes absolutely

00:11:46.440 those applause that wasn't just about the traffic lessening on the back of the building

00:11:50.680 This beautiful addition to our campus and to Edmonton's skyline is made possible thanks to the Government of Alberta's significant financial contribution.

00:12:00.680 On that note, it brings me great pleasure to introduce the Honourable Danielle Smith, MLA, Premier of Alberta.

00:12:15.680 I believe you'd expect me to say more than that.

00:12:19.680 Sworn in as Alberta's 19th Premier on October 11, 2022, she represents the

00:12:25.360 riding of Brooks Medicine Hat. A strong supporter of post-secondary education,

00:12:29.460 Premier Smith holds degrees in both economics and English from the

00:12:33.160 University of Calgary. In my experience, Premier, those disciplines make a

00:12:37.020 powerful combination. As an institution that uses scholarship to tackle many of

00:12:42.480 the same issues with which the government wrestles, McEwen University

00:12:45.960 He is honored to welcome Premier Smith to our campus today.

00:12:49.020 Premier.

00:12:55.540 Well, thank you so much, Dr. Monk,

00:12:57.400 and good afternoon to everybody.

00:12:59.660 I am pleased to be joined by Rajah and Sonny,

00:13:03.480 our Minister of Advanced Education.

00:13:05.920 I see my Minister of Children's and Family Services,

00:13:08.640 Cyril Turton is also here,

00:13:10.420 along with Carolyn Graham, McEwen Board Chair,

00:13:13.860 and Rob Seidel, campaign co-chair,

00:13:16.320 as well as Councillor Ann Stevenson

00:13:18.420 to mark this exciting milestone at McEwen University.

00:13:22.320 It's always exciting to watch major projects

00:13:24.560 like the McEwen School of Business move forward.

00:13:27.260 And while there is still a lot to do on the ground,

00:13:30.900 I want to congratulate McEwen for their ongoing work

00:13:34.120 to move from planning and design

00:13:36.180 to construction and eventual opening.

00:13:38.580 For those who don't know,

00:13:39.420 and I'm sure most in this room do,

00:13:41.360 McEwen has had a presence in downtown Edmonton

00:13:44.580 since it opened its first campus in 1971.

00:13:48.360 And it grew to include several more facilities

00:13:50.560 in other areas of the city.

00:13:52.160 But once this wonderfully unique city center campus

00:13:55.440 arrived in the 1990s, McEwen's leadership

00:13:58.400 made what I think is a very wise decision

00:14:00.260 to make downtown Edmonton McEwen's home.

00:14:02.760 Today, McEwen brings 20,000 people downtown every day.

00:14:06.520 That's a quarter of Edmonton's daytime downtown population.

00:14:10.480 McEwen students, faculty and staff interact with the public

00:14:13.900 to create a lively social and cultural ecosystem

00:14:17.740 in the north side of downtown.

00:14:19.700 And of course, McEwen delivers creative, innovative

00:14:22.660 and high demand programming that is crucial

00:14:24.480 to developing needed skills and talent in our workforce,

00:14:27.580 which are integral to Alberta's economic future.

00:14:30.660 With enrollment at an all time high

00:14:32.760 of more than 19,000 students,

00:14:34.460 and with a vision to grow to 30,000 students by 2030,

00:14:37.660 this expansion couldn't come at a better time.

00:14:40.220 Earlier this year, Alberta's government announced its investment of $125 million over four years in the new McEwen School of Business.

00:14:48.260 Now, as 2023 comes to a close, the pre-construction phase is complete, and as you just heard, everything is on track for the new School of Business to break ground in 2024.

00:14:58.840 Downtown recovery and revitalization of Edmonton is a priority, and we have made significant investments in safety and security,

00:15:05.720 growing shelter spaces, supporting the Edmonton police and in their human-centered engagement

00:15:11.860 and liaison partnership teams and other important measures. But just as important as targeted

00:15:16.780 initiatives like these is investment in projects that bring people and vitality and energy into

00:15:24.600 downtown Edmonton. It's also incredibly important that we support projects that address the

00:15:29.380 challenges Albertans face as we strive to ensure prosperity for all our citizens. And that's why

00:15:34.400 this investment is so important. This project helps to send the message that Alberta isn't just

00:15:39.580 open for business. It is by far the best place to study and create and do business. This new

00:15:45.380 facility will provide vital resources of talent and vision that will allow Alberta job creators

00:15:50.540 to grow our economy. And I know that through our partnership with McEwen, as well as with all of

00:15:55.920 our post-secondary institutions, we will continue building a strong future for Albertans, one that

00:16:01.360 includes a strong Edmonton and Capital Region.

00:16:03.920 I'm looking forward to seeing the ongoing progress on the new

00:16:06.800 School of Business and how it helps to reinvigorate downtown Edmonton

00:16:10.720 the city and the Capital Region as a whole. Thank you so much and you'll hear

00:16:14.560 from my Minister as well.

00:16:24.560 Thank you Premier. I'd now like to welcome the Honorable Rajan Zani,

00:16:28.480 MLA, Minister of Advanced Education.

00:16:31.520 Sworn in as Minister of Advanced Education

00:16:33.600 on June 9th, 2023, she previously served

00:16:37.000 as the Minister of Trade, Immigration,

00:16:38.820 and Multiculturalism, the Minister of Transportation,

00:16:42.160 and the Minister of Community and Social Services.

00:16:45.000 First elected in 2019, Minister Sawney has served

00:16:48.280 as the Member for Calgary Northwest since May 2023.

00:16:52.240 She is a University of Calgary alumni

00:16:54.200 where she earned a degree in economics

00:16:56.680 political science as well as an MBA. Those are some great academic disciplines as well, Minister.

00:17:02.280 Minister Sani is dedicated to growing post-secondary participation in Alberta

00:17:06.920 and building the province's future workforce. Welcome to McEwen University Minister.

00:17:12.600 Wow, what an introduction.

00:17:24.520 Thank you so much for that.

00:17:26.140 Thank you, Premier, for your leadership and being such a great and strong champion for

00:17:30.480 this project.

00:17:32.480 It is such a pleasure to be here at McEwen today in the heart of Edmonton's downtown.

00:17:38.320 As Premier Smith mentioned, McEwen University has been a major presence in downtown Edmonton

00:17:43.720 for a good portion of its 50-plus years.

00:17:47.080 McEwen is not just a significant economic driver in Edmonton, it's a powerful symbol

00:17:53.020 of the vitality and importance of our post-secondary education system for the whole province.

00:17:59.600 Alberta's government wants to see our economy grow, diversify, and fulfil its amazing potential

00:18:05.880 for the benefit of all Albertans.

00:18:08.300 That is why we are committed to investing

00:18:10.500 in our post-secondary programs and spaces.

00:18:13.700 Our government's contribution to the new school of business

00:18:16.460 alongside the fundraising efforts

00:18:18.500 of the McEwen Means Business campaign

00:18:21.880 represents a critical investment

00:18:24.020 in Alberta's talent development.

00:18:26.580 We are investing in the skills our province needs

00:18:29.680 to support economic growth and prosperity.

00:18:33.460 Like McEwen, we realize that if we want to increase student opportunities,

00:18:38.340 spark creativity and innovation, and foster entrepreneurial energy,

00:18:43.660 we need spaces that inspire more students and inspire students more.

00:18:49.660 I will let the experts speak about the details of the building,

00:18:53.460 which is portrayed behind us here.

00:18:56.560 But from my standpoint, I can see that the new McEwen School of Business

00:19:00.560 will not just meet the need for more learning space,

00:19:03.980 it will create a learning environment

00:19:06.320 that truly nurtures excellence.

00:19:08.860 By investing in the new School of Business,

00:19:11.000 we're helping McEwen to build Alberta's prosperity

00:19:14.640 for the next generation.

00:19:16.840 Thank you, McEwen's board, administration and faculty,

00:19:20.680 and of course, the students and the fundraising cabinet,

00:19:24.780 donors, business leaders and community representatives

00:19:28.240 for sharing your enthusiasm and vision with us today and for being here today.

00:19:33.900 And thank you again to MacEwan students, the lifeblood of this institution, for the inspiration

00:19:40.240 you provide every day and the promise you offer to the future of our province.

00:19:45.780 Thank you once again to everybody for being here today.

00:19:58.500 Thank you Minister Sawney.

00:20:00.000 We're grateful for the government's support of McEwen and our new building.

00:20:03.260 This support recognizes the impact that McEwen has on the province, the capital region and

00:20:08.820 downtown Edmonton.

00:20:10.660 Five million dollars of capital funding this fiscal year is greatly appreciated.

00:20:14.440 project is shovel ready. I'd now like to introduce Anne Stevenson of Ward O'Dayman,

00:20:19.960 Councillor with the City of Edmonton. Welcome back to McEwen University, Councillor.

00:20:31.160 Hello and good afternoon. My name is Anne Stevenson. I have the honour of representing

00:20:35.720 Ward O'Dayman on Edmonton City Council and I'm delighted to be joined today by my colleague

00:20:41.240 Councillor Tim Cartmell, and on behalf of Mayor Sohi and all my colleagues, so happy to be here

00:20:46.920 to share in this special day. McEwen is a huge part of the heart of our city. The nearly 20,000

00:20:55.880 current students that add so much vibrancy and culture to our downtown and it's thrilling to

00:21:01.480 picture another 10,000 joining by 2030. The new School of Business building is a huge part

00:21:08.040 of that effort and attracting and retaining talent and vibrancy in our core i'm so grateful

00:21:14.520 to the province for this investment in the heart of our city and for all the other support you've

00:21:19.000 provided to support edmonton's downtown rebound i'm also so grateful for mcewen staff the board

00:21:26.280 volunteers fundraiser donors everyone who's making this possible this will have a profound

00:21:32.120 and lasting impact not only on the downtown but our city as a whole so thank you again

00:21:36.680 and congratulations. Thank You Councillor Stevenson. Hearing from our elected officials

00:21:49.100 today about the importance of McEwen to the province and the city reinforces how special

00:21:54.500 is McEwen University and the critical role it plays. I know that Carolyn Graham, Chair of McEwen's

00:22:00.440 Board of Governors is deeply committed to ensuring that we reach our full potential in delivering on

00:22:05.600 on this critical role. Now in her second term as McEwen University's board chair, she has overseen

00:22:11.200 incredible milestones for the institution, including installing its first chancellor,

00:22:16.080 Dr. Tony Fields, and approving our strategic vision, teaching greatness. I'd like to welcome

00:22:21.920 our board chair to the podium. Thank you, Dr. Monk, and good afternoon everyone.

00:22:33.840 My deepest gratitude to Premier Smith, Minister Sani, Councillor Stevenson and each of you

00:22:40.680 in the room for joining us today.

00:22:42.600 I can't tell you how meaningful it is to look out and see business leaders, community leaders,

00:22:48.600 students, alumni, faculty, staff and representatives of government who join us today.

00:22:56.240 Seeing all of you together reinforces McEwen's unique position in the centre of downtown in

00:23:01.600 in bringing business and academia together with our city and our province.

00:23:06.900 As Alberta's premier undergraduate university, we are laser-focused on teaching greatness.

00:23:13.100 We're committed to creating the opportunities and conditions necessary for our province's

00:23:17.960 young professionals, leaders, innovators, and visionaries to succeed.

00:23:23.640 We focus on being great educators so that our graduates can be great community leaders.

00:23:29.720 Growing the number of students we educate is critical to serving the Capital Region.

00:23:35.000 Enrollment at McEwen, as you've heard, is at an all-time high, 19,200 students this

00:23:40.000 year with a target to reach 30,000 students by 2030.

00:23:44.680 We're growing because we strike a perfect balance.

00:23:48.760 McEwen is big enough to offer a range of in-demand programs and a wealth of work-integrated learning

00:23:54.680 and student research experiences

00:23:56.900 to prepare our grads to be future ready.

00:24:00.020 We're also small enough to really get to know our students.

00:24:03.840 Our faculty make connections and inspire students

00:24:06.800 and even change the course

00:24:07.920 of their academic careers and lives.

00:24:10.820 We believe that education should be transformative

00:24:14.080 and at McEwen, it is.

00:24:16.360 That's why more and more students are choosing McEwen.

00:24:19.720 We know we need to be creative to meet this growing demand,

00:24:22.880 So we're offering more courses year round

00:24:25.540 and expanding options for hybrid learning.

00:24:28.340 This meets the needs of students and is efficient.

00:24:32.020 As board chair,

00:24:32.860 I'm proud that McEwen has a strong value proposition

00:24:36.200 with small class sizes

00:24:37.820 and one of the lowest costs per student in the province.

00:24:41.260 But even so, our campus is bursting at the seams.

00:24:44.780 And that's why I'm thrilled that you joined us today

00:24:46.900 to hear an update on our new School of Business building.

00:24:50.220 As you've heard, our pre-construction work is complete

00:24:53.380 and construction will begin in the early spring.

00:24:56.900 We look forward to welcoming 7,500 more students

00:25:00.480 to campus when the building opens in 2027.

00:25:04.300 That's 7,500 new students who will join

00:25:06.780 the 20,000 McEwen students, faculty and staff

00:25:10.180 who already come downtown every day.

00:25:12.940 Edmontonians who use transit, eat at downtown restaurants,

00:25:16.900 attend community events, and call downtown home.

00:25:21.540 I've personally seen the impact

00:25:23.220 that this institution has on its students.

00:25:25.940 I've seen the difference that McEwen people 0.99

00:25:27.760 make in our community,

00:25:29.480 and I wholeheartedly believe in this new building

00:25:32.100 and the opportunities it will create.

00:25:34.420 So much so that my husband and I were proud

00:25:36.620 to make a lead gift to our fundraising campaign.

00:25:40.060 I'm confident that others who hear the McEwen story

00:25:43.000 and see the contributions that this institution

00:25:45.240 make to our city and province over the coming years will join me in supporting this campaign.

00:25:51.400 None of this would be possible without the generous investment of the Government of Alberta,

00:25:56.920 the fundraising efforts of our phenomenal McEwen Means Business Campaign Cabinet,

00:26:02.360 and the commitment of community leaders who share our dedication to ensuring this university,

00:26:07.800 this community, this city, and this province continues to thrive. I'd now like to invite

00:26:14.120 rob sidle to the podium to provide remarks on behalf of the mcewen means business cabinet

00:26:19.160 who lead our fundraising efforts for our new school of business building thank you

00:26:31.000 well good afternoon everybody thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy days to be

00:26:36.200 here it's a pleasure to be here joined by premier smith mr sawney uh councillor stevenson and so

00:26:43.880 many others that are invested in the success of mcewen and our city as we have many um previous

00:26:51.720 board members here and i'm joined by john day my co-chair in the mcewen means business campaign john

00:26:57.960 and i were approached to assist with the um the fundraising initiative of course we responded

00:27:04.120 quickly as everybody who's been associated with mcewen regularly does we're also joined by many

00:27:11.080 of our cabinet members today are mccune means business cabinet members and appreciate their

00:27:17.480 support i'd like to acknowledge the membership of the cabinet enzo baricello lisa burroldi

00:27:25.400 tracy bernard nicole bork boucher chad brennan sign chatty daryl hollywell janet riapel

00:27:35.480 mike saunders and shauna vocal thank you for your contributions

00:27:47.240 a city's heartbeat is its downtown and our cabinet and the members of mckeon know full well that

00:27:53.880 mckeon is playing a critical role in the success of not only the education

00:27:59.240 role and responsibility it has but also building downtown edmonton downtown needs a new building

00:28:05.080 and bringing 7 500 to 10 000 new students will obviously increase and improve the vibrancy of

00:28:12.040 the core which will help with safety and further investment and support economic growth where mckeon

00:28:18.440 is located in the heart of downtown matters it's the confidence and confluence of all relations

00:28:25.960 it's a different university and something that is so happily enjoyed and needed in this city

00:28:31.880 john har mckeon's first president after whom the library we stand in his name said that the city

00:28:38.840 is mckeon's campus based on mckeon's location and mentality mckeon's a convener of people

00:28:46.120 we've heard that it brings business leaders community builders elected officials students

00:28:52.520 and faculty and our partners in government together to create new ideas new leaders and to

00:29:00.760 address real world problems as we look around the room today we'll see community leaders business

00:29:06.920 leaders leading faculty members and members of all order of government who've joined here today

00:29:13.080 committed to build a brighter future and a more prosperous future as you can imagine most cities

00:29:19.160 in canada and around the world would be envious of having a downtown university we have that in

00:29:24.200 edmonton and it's critical to our vibrancy mckeon as we know is shaping our leaders of the future

00:29:30.920 graduates who as the premier said will contribute to a bright future and bring promise to not only

00:29:37.000 edmonton alberta but the entirety of the world some of our graduates remain in the mix to borrow

00:29:42.920 the words of our mckeon president annette trimby we have a phenomenally high retention rate for

00:29:48.840 graduates of mckeon to continue in the community and to contribute to the prosperity building a

00:29:54.760 new school of business that will produce even more of these graduates is only possible because of the

00:29:59.960 leadership of premier smith and minister sawny we want to thank them for that based on their

00:30:05.240 commitment of 125 million dollars our mckeon means business cabinet have committed to raising 25

00:30:12.200 million dollars back in april when we kicked off the campaign with the generous donation

00:30:17.480 from our board chair carolyn graham thank you carolyn for that

00:30:21.560 your dedication and enthusiasm of the cabinet is much appreciated and we built we believe it's

00:30:26.280 contagious i do want to thank and acknowledge the progress we've made with the generous

00:30:31.560 contributions of the boucher group the buchanan family foundation capital power elliston construction

00:30:40.600 stew gillespie dr richard perlow and his wife laurie and we're continuing to be engaged in

00:30:47.960 our efforts to raise funds to complete this project i know i speak on behalf of our entire

00:30:53.480 mccune means business cabinet to thank you again as we look forward to the spring groundbreaking

00:30:59.720 of the new building. Thank you so much for being here today. Really appreciate it.

00:31:12.920 Thank you, everyone. I'd like to thank Premier Smith, Minister Sawney,

00:31:16.680 Councillor Stevenson, Carolyn Graham, and Robert Seidel, members of our McEwen Means Business

00:31:22.920 Campaign Cabinet, and to all of you for joining us today. It's been my great privilege to have

00:31:28.440 been a professor in alberta universities for more than 25 years and a gathering like this one today

00:31:34.120 of friends old and new is a real sector highlight i can't emphasize how much it means to us to this

00:31:40.680 university to have the support of government and of the community as we grow it really is

00:31:46.200 an exciting time to be at mcewen we like to say that alberta needs more mcewen well you'll soon

00:31:52.760 see more of us on the corner of 109 and 105. thank you everyone

Western Standard - November 20, 2023

Investing in MacEwan and downtown revitalization.

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