The Martlet

UVic students may be spared a sharp increase in athletics fees to pay for a proposed new athletics building.

The university has postponed until fall its consultative ballot that was originally planned to coincide with the

March UVSS elections for a funding feasibility study.

The delay is blamed on changes in economic conditions since the building was originally planned and the possibility of new funding sources.  The feasibility study will aim for other private and

government sources of funding to lower any potential fee increases for students. With no new funding, athletics fees were expected to jump by $55 per semester to $126.50.

The university decided that there would not have been enough information about the cost of the project by March, and that it was unfair for students who are leaving the university to vote on a fee that will be paid by future students.

The university has created two committees to review the feasibility of the proposed building. UVSS Director-at-Large Veronica Harrison, who has been elected to represent students on the User Committee, says that the committee will provide a good opportunity to hammer out the details of the plan.

“This will be the first time students will have a say in the process,” said

Harrison, who added that she realized that a lot of students are skeptical of the plan to hike student fees.

The second committee is the Project Planning Committee, which looks at the institutional angle and has people from Facilities Management, Athletics and Recreation, Finance and Communications, among others.

One new potential source of funding came in last month’s federal

budget, which earmarked $2 billion for post-secondary infrastructure

renewal. The fund, which will be managed by Industry Canada, will provide up to 50 per cent of an infrastructure project’s cost. According to the government of Canada’s website, the funds will be allocated based on

“project merit and readiness,” with preference given to initiatives that

improve the quality of research. If UVic is given federal funding, it is

not known if the provincial government will match.

UVic’s Vice President Operations and Finance Gayle Gorrill says

while the amount UVic will receive is unknown, the possibility of

federal funding for infrastructure improvements is promising.

“Normally infrastructure usually isn’t a priority, so we’re really

thrilled,” said Gorrill. “We don’t know how much we are getting or what the criteria will be … but there are a great number of renewal projects that this could go toward.”

Gorrill says the top priority, if UVic sees any of this money, will be the

university’s athletic facilities. Other priorities would be expanding residence capacity and improving older buildings to make them more functional and energy efficient.

UVic has already allocated $1.1 million toward designing the new building, which is expected to cost about $59 million. It would likely be built behind the McKinnon building, where the

old army huts currently stand. The current athletics facilities are over 40 years old, and are becoming increasingly

costly to maintain.

UVic Sustainability Co-ordinator Sarah Webb, who has been involved in the preliminary planning of the building, says UVic has an opportunity not only to have premier athletics facilities, but also to be leaders in

environmental stewardship.

“My goal is to see a building design that accommodates the budget and demonstrates innovation as it relates to infrastructure, resource use and educational opportunities,” said Webb. “This project is an opportunity for the university to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability. The

building could be used as a living laboratory to educate members of the campus and broader community about green building systems, strategies and design.”