A new student residence building and expanded child-care centre for Simon Fraser University are a step closer to becoming reality, with construction now underway at SFU's Burnaby campus.
Anne Kang, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, and Rohini Arora, parliamentary secretary for child care and MLA for Burnaby East, attended the official groundbreaking event for the project May 21.
The phase 3 residence development features an eight-storey residence building that will accommodate 445 upper-year students and a 160-space child-care centre, and will further enhance the university's sense of community and belonging when it opens its doors in fall 2027.
"We are grateful for the province's continued investment in student housing and child care across the province," says SFU President Joy Johnson. "I look forward to continued growth of SFU's resident student community on Burnaby Mountain, and to continued partnership with the provincial government as we move forward. The post-secondary sector is united in our efforts to support British Columbians in tackling shared challenges, from housing to health care and beyond, as we make a difference for students and for communities across B.C."
The residence building - situated across from the existing Pauline Jewett, Barbara Rae and Shadbolt student housing buildings - will include a mix of self-contained studios, quad units (four-room suites with shared kitchen and living spaces), as well as two- and four-bedroom townhouses. It will also sport shared study and amenity spaces, including lounges, a laundry room and house kitchen.
The child-care spaces will include 36 spaces for infant-toddlers and 124 spaces for kids from three to five years. When these new spaces are added, there will be more than 570 child-care spaces to support to the SFU community.
"A safe and secure place to live and conveniently located child care can be transformative for students and parents working or studying on campus," said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure. "These new facilities will provide shorter commute times, allow students to focus on their studies and help ease pressure on the local rental market. Projects like this are one way we are investing in infrastructure that supports people in B.C."
The project will be constructed using mass timber and is targeting optimal BC Energy Step Code and Zero Carbon Code compliance - underscoring the province and SFU's commitment to CleanBC goals.
The total capital cost of the project is $196.6 million, shared between the province and SFU.
Since 2018, SFU has planned and constructed three new student housing buildings on the Burnaby campus - East and West Buildings, Courtyard Residence and Grad and Family Housing - bringing on line 941 new beds.
Once complete, phase 3 will see SFU expand on-campus housing to approximately eight per cent of the student population. The goal at the completion of the five-phase residence and housing master plan is for SFU to house 10 per cent of full-time students.
"Watching the phase 3 site come to life has reinforced how vital new student housing is for our community," says Ali Asgar Abdul Udaipurwala, a fourth-year undergraduate student in SFU's Beedie School of Business, who lives in residence at the Burnaby campus.
"As a community advisor and area coordinator, I have loved planning late-night events, movie nights, and study breaks in our halls. Those moments laughing with friends at midnight or finding a quiet corner to cram for exams are what make this place special. I am excited for phase 3 to become our next home away from home."
For more information on phase 3 and the SFU housing master plan, visit the Residence and Housing website.
Quotes:
Anne Kang, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills:
"I have met with many students at post-secondary campuses in B.C., and access to housing and child care are big factors when deciding if they can afford to build a better life for themselves. Since 2018, our government has made historic investments in student housing, making it easier for thousands of students across the province to gain the skills they need to fill the in-demand jobs our economy needs."Rohini Arora, parliamentary secretary for child care and MLA for Burnaby East:
"Creating 160 new child-care spaces on SFU's campus, where hard-working students, families, single parents can easily access the care they need, is one of the ways we are helping Burnaby get ahead. By ensuring parents - especially mothers - can access high-quality child care in Burnaby while attending higher education or working, we are setting both this generation and the next up for success."
