Donation helping update former research space at Lambton College

The Suncor sustainability center at Lambton College is getting a remodel.

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The center, which opened just north of the college’s residence building in 2008, as a then-$900,000 facility focused on sustainability research, has fallen into disuse in recent years, said college president Rob Kardas.

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“I think for a couple of years it’s just been used as storage,” he said of the once-headquarters for organizations including the Sarnia-Lambton Environmental Association, a precursor to the Bluewater Association for Safety, Environment and Sustainability (BASES).

But with a $1-million donation from Queen’s Global — the parent company of Lambton private-public partner Queen’s College in Mississauga — the building is being renovated for a new 740-square-meter (8,000 square feet) lab and learning space, Lambton announced this week.

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The end vision is the Queen’s Global Impact Lab, a multi-purpose space “where students will meet the community to solve community regional problems” with a focus on entrepreneurship and applied research, Kardas said.

That could mean accounting and administrative professional students offering services during tax season, applied research for city projects via the Sarnia-Lambton College civic lab partnership, and any number of other applications, Kardas said.

While the top-five ranked research college in Canada already has batches of lab space “this one will be maybe a little less technical in nature, and a little more about meeting space and work space to do certain things,” Kardas said.

Features would include a makerspace for students, support for entrepreneurs, and opportunities for the community to tap into student resources like website creation, promotional videos, and social campaigns, college officials said.

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Project design work is underway, but the final renovation cost is expected to be around $1 million, he said.

“We’re very grateful for the donation,” he said.

The lab will provide experiential learning opportunities for students, he said, noting the building is easy to access — it’s right by London Road — for the community, and was in need of refurbishment anyway.

“In bringing those things together it felt like a great location for both our students and community,” Kardas said.

About 3,000 Lambton College students are enrolled at Queen’s, one of two private schools near Toronto licensed to teach Lambton students using Lambton curriculum, he said.

The other, Cestar, also has made donations to Sarnia and college projects.

“Our partners understand the importance of giving back to the Sarnia community,” Kardas said.

The Queen’s Global sponsorship is part of Lambton’s five-year, $45-million capital campaign that launched in June, officials said, noting the new lab space is expected to open next spring.

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