Province kicks in another $2M for BU science centre

The provincial government is providing an additional $2 million in capital funding to advance the renewal of the Brodie Science Centre at Brandon University.

The funding — aimed at creating state-of-the-art laboratories and modernized learning facilities in the building — builds on a $2.5-million investment in 2024 for initial design and planning work.

Peter Hickey, BU’s vice-president for administration and finance, said the new funding allows the project to move beyond the earlier design.

“The additional $2 million allows us to advance toward a more modern, flexible learning and research environment,” Hickey said. “This funding supports enhanced planning for contemporary laboratory layouts, improved building systems and the integration of spaces that better support hands-on learning, interdisciplinary research and evolving scientific practices.”

Advanced Education and Training Minister Renée Cable said the additional funding will expand access to science education and health-care training in the region.

“This will be part of the scoping and making sure that we are as prepared as possible to start moving forward on construction,” Cable told the Sun. “The improvements to the Brodie Science Centre will help improve access to science programming across the board for Brandon University students.”

Cable said the upgraded facilities will also support the province’s broader effort to grow its health-care workforce, particularly in rural Manitoba.

“It will ensure that we are able to offer more of the courses necessary to move students toward careers in health care,” she said.

The investment supports efforts to expand physician training in the Brandon area and strengthen existing clerkships through Prairie Mountain Health, she said.

The funding is part of a targeted approach to address long-standing challenges in retaining students and professionals in the Westman region, she added.

“Students have often had to leave and not come back,” Cable said in an interview. “We’re trying to provide as many training opportunities as possible in Westman to keep students here and ensure we have new doctors, new nurses and stronger local capacity.”

The upgraded facilities are expected to improve student learning, particularly for those pursuing careers in health and medicine, Hickey said.

“Modernized laboratories create more opportunities for experiential learning, where students gain practical skills using up-to-date equipment and facilities similar to what they will encounter in graduate studies or professional health-care settings.”

He said the upgrade is important for students entering fields such as medicine, nursing, psychiatric nursing and medical research. Enhanced lab spaces will also expand faculty research capacity, giving students more opportunities to participate in real-world research projects.

While the funding marks a major step forward, Hickey said the project remains in its early stages.

“The funding announced is for early-stage planning and preliminary work,” he said. “A project of this scale requires several phases, including detailed design, fundraising and further approvals.”

As a result, timelines for construction and completion have not yet been finalized and will depend on future phases of the project.

Beyond improving infrastructure, he said, the investment is also expected to strengthen the university’s ability to attract students, faculty and research partnerships to the Westman region.

“High-quality facilities are a key factor in attracting talented students, faculty members and research collaborators,” Hickey said, pointing to previous investments such as the university’s Breast Cancer Cell and Molecular Research Laboratory and planned upgrades to the McMaster Hall observatory.

He said a renewed Brodie Science Centre would further position BU as a hub for scientific education and research, helping to build regional, national and international partnerships.

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