Ontario recently celebrated the opening of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., following the province’s investment of $26.16 million towards the project in 2010. The facility will be home to the university’s departments of Dramatic Arts, Visual Arts, Music and Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture.

The structure will act as a cultural hub for students and the community and will include space for more than 500 students, faculty and staff, including a new, state-of-the-art learning commons, digital lecture hall, seminar rooms and a lounge and study area. It will also include computer and digital media labs; music practice studios; photography studios and darkroom; drama studios with a costume shop and a student art gallery.

“Brock undertook this project because it was part of a greater plan to transform downtown St. Catharines. The Ontario government saw an opportunity to support both excellence in education and economic renewal for an entire community,” said Jack Lightstone, president and vice-chancellor at Brock University, in a press release. “Their support was crucial to the project going forward, and enabled Brock’s new arts school to become a reality and a key asset for the entire Niagara region.”

This investment in modern and innovative post-secondary infrastructure was part of the government’s long-term infrastructure plan to help connect regions, develop new economic opportunities and improve quality of life for Ontarians by supporting critical infrastructure projects across the province. Since 2003, the province has provided approximately $2.3 billion in capital grants to universities and $1.2 billion to colleges. It is also increasing funding for the maintenance of current infrastructure at post-secondary institutions to $100 million annually by 2019-2020 and beyond.