{"id":3892,"date":"2013-07-08T16:51:52","date_gmt":"2013-07-08T21:51:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/?p=3892"},"modified":"2013-07-18T20:26:22","modified_gmt":"2013-07-19T01:26:22","slug":"groundbreaking-ceremony-held-for-cmus-new-library-learning-commons-and-bridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/2013\/groundbreaking-ceremony-held-for-cmus-new-library-learning-commons-and-bridge\/","title":{"rendered":"Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for CMU\u2019s New Library, Learning Commons, and Bridge"},"content":{"rendered":"

WINNIPEG, July 8, 2013 – <\/b>Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) President Cheryl Pauls, with MP Rod Bruinooge and City of Winnipeg Councillor Paula Havixbeck, broke ground today on the university\u2019s new $13.9-million expansion project. They were joined by well over 100 friends and supporters from the university and the broader community.<\/p>\n

Joining President Pauls were local businessmen Elmer Hildebrand, the capital project\u2019s Campaign Chair, and Art DeFehr who is Vice-Chair of CMU\u2019s Board of Governors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is being done today really sets the pace for the future,\u201d said MP Bruinooge, who chairs the Federal Government\u2019s Post-Secondary Education Caucus. \u201cI\u2019ve seen many different schools across Canada and I know that the people here care at such a deep level\u2014it brings such life to our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

CMU President Pauls stated, \u201cThe range of activities being planned for this Library and Learning Commons will make it the hub of the campus\u2014linking the learning of the classroom with cutting edge research techniques that cross people and books and e-resources with invigorating forms of collaborative engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Havixbeck affirmed this vision, stating this project \u201cgoes beyond bricks and mortar as education is the life blood of our community. I am excited about this project.\u201d<\/p>\n

Planned for the heart of the CMU\u2019s Shaftesbury campus in South Winnipeg, the Library and Learning Commons will generate vital resources and services, study and collaborative spaces, and welcome the constituency and wider community into the life of the university. Meanwhile, the new pedestrian bridge will connect CMU\u2019s Shaftesbury Campus, which is currently separated by Grant Avenue.<\/p>\n

To date, roughly $10-million has been raised. This funding comprises donations from private donors and foundations, as well as the Winnipeg Foundation, the Richardson Foundation, and the C.P. Loewen Family Foundation. The target for the project\u2019s completion is September 2014.<\/p>\n

\"(l-r)<\/a>
(l-r) Art DeFehr, Vice Chair CMU Board of Governors; Elton DeSilva, MB Church Manitoba Executive Director; Cheryl Pauls CMU President; Elmer Hildebrand, CMU Capital Campaign Chair; Willard Metzger, Executive Director MC Canada; Paula Havixbeck, City of Winnipeg Councillor;
MP Rod Bruinooge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n