The Minto Group gives major donation to University of Waterloo's Environment 3 building
Waterloo, ON (November 17, 2011) - The Minto Group announced today it has donated $1 million to the University of Waterloo’s newest building in the faculty of environment, Environment 3.
The building showcases innovative sustainable design and is on track to meet exacting criteria for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum status - an internationally accepted benchmark for high-performance green buildings.
A further gift of $100,000 from The Minto Group will fund scholarships in the nationally recognized School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED), a key occupant in the new building. The 57,000-square-foot building, the third one in the faculty of environment, is also the new home for the well-established School of Planning.
Minto's vision and commitment to sustainably designed buildings played a contributing role in Environment 3 being on track for LEED Platinum status.
The building contains much-needed student and teaching space, including a 150-seat lecture theatre, which, along with the grand four-storey atrium, will be named the Minto Lecture Hall and Atrium.
"With this gift, The Minto Group shows that it values the environment as an important corporate social responsibility," said Roger Greenberg, CEO of the real estate, development, construction and property management company. "I believe that actively pursuing green initiatives through industry leadership, innovation and education will help future generations find ways to create a healthier planet."
Feridun Hamdullahpur, president of the University of Waterloo, said the new building embodies the university's long tradition of social and environmental awareness. "It is my conviction that our students will be inspired by this new learning environment. It gives us the opportunity to demonstrate the possibilities for best practices in green technologies that will stimulate creative solutions for our environmental challenges."
"Environment 3 is a bold step forward for our faculty and for the University of Waterloo as leaders in environmental sustainability," said André Roy, dean of the faculty of environment at Waterloo. "We decided to go for LEED Platinum status with this building because we believe in leading by example. We wanted to create a space that provides the ideal environment for hands-on learning and demonstrates, in a very tangible way, our commitment to the environment. Environment 3 shows that it is possible to aim high and succeed."
Minto’s gift of $100,000 in scholarships will help create a new generation of sustainability leaders over the next 10 years. "We are very grateful to Minto for the support being given our students in SEED," said Neil Craik, director for SEED. "Scholarships provide not only financial resources for students but also recognition and encouragement to pursue their studies."
The school offers degrees that integrate environment, business and development education. By 2012, SEED will produce the largest number of graduates with combined business, development and environmental expertise of any school in North America.
The Minto Group's pacesetting donation will spark other donors to support the fundraising campaign for the $23-million Environment 3 building.
About The Minto Group
Minto is a fully integrated real estate, development, construction and property management company. It is committed to defining, measuring, and reducing its environmental footprint by identifying new opportunities to enhance and create products and services that contribute to a healthier planet. Minto aims to improve energy efficiency and reduce Minto's resource consumption by tracking and reporting on energy and water savings - ensuring its buildings operate as efficiently as possible and provide a superior living experience for their customers. For more information, go to https://www.minto.com.
About the University of Waterloo
In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's Technology Triangle, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with close to 30,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, visit http://www.uwaterloo.ca.
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Contacts:
André Roy, dean, faculty of environment, 519-888-4567 ext. 35922
Valerie Molloy, director of advancement, faculty of environment, 519-888- 4567 ext. 38342 or [email protected]
Gwen Cox, director of communications, The Minto Group, 613-782-3128 or [email protected]
John Morris, Waterloo media relations, 519-888-4435 or [email protected]