U of T opens new centre for earth sciences research

Built to accommodate the departments of geology and botany and the faculty of forestry, more than half the building’s 320,000 sq ft is allocated for basic scientific research.

Combining the three disciplines in one building was an innovation intended to foster collaboration.

“Students will benefit from this interaction; they will see how the other fields affect their own,” says a brochure on the building published by the university. “The result will be enhanced skills, enriched imaginations and better earth scientists and managers of our natural resources.”

Peterson, in his remarks at the opening ceremony, referred to the combination of the three areas of study into one building as a “holistic” approach to education.

The centre features common lounges, reading rooms, a shared reference library and a 400-seat lecture theatre — one of the most spacious at the university.

While governments contributed about $30 million to the building and the university itself added about $15 million, corporate donors are expected to pay about $12 million of the capital cost. Corporate donors to date are: C.I.L., Denison Mines, Domtar, Falconbridge, Gulf Canada, Imperial Oil, Inco, Noranda, Olympia and York, Placer Dome, Shell Canada and Union Carbide. Together corporate donors have contributed about $3.6 million.

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