UNews - Mt. Blakiston House

Residence construction a boon to local companies

trevor.kenney — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 15:33:20 +0000

The construction and furnishing of Mt. Blakiston House, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s newest residence building, was made possible thanks in part to the skilled trades and services offered by a variety of Lethbridge companies.

Approximately 50 per cent of the $27.5 million cost to construct Mt. Blakiston House was paid to local subcontractors and goods and service companies to ensure a timely and quality completion of a building that will house many of the U of L’s second- and third-year students.

Local contractors and goods and service companies played a key role in the construction of Mt. Blakiston House.

“As you can appreciate, a project of this size can be complicated,” says Brian Sullivan, Project Manager. “While the construction was contracted to Stuart Olson Dominion, we are fortunate in Lethbridge to have many high-quality companies and retailers to participate in projects like Mt. Blakiston House.”

Over 40 local companies were used for various aspects of the project including electrical work, painting, flooring, masonry, air conditioning, heating, irrigation and the supply of appliances and furniture.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge receives dedicated funding envelopes for deferred maintenance projects annually. Many local companies are being used in what has been a significant summer renovation season. Additionally, many local companies were contracted to repair damage caused by the flood that occurred on campus in June.

The Mt. Blakiston House project is the largest completed since Markin Hall was opened in 2010. The
U of L is now in the midst of planning the Destination Project, which will include new science facilities, a new utility center and a retrofit of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s original building, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall.

“The Destination Project will be the largest undertaken by the U of L since ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall was built,” says Sullivan. “We are currently using some local companies to help us through the planning process, and there is no doubt the local economic impact of that project will be noticed for many years.”

Mt. Blakiston House welcomes students

trevor.kenney — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 19:44:01 +0000

Mt. Blakiston House, the latest addition to the U of L’s campus residence park, is officially open to receive students.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors Chair Gordon Jong, U of L President Dr. Mike Mahon, Students' Union President Shuna Talbot, MLA Lethbridge West Greg Weadick and Lethbridge Mayor Rajko Dodic.

The $32-million, 11,589 sq.m. (124,743 sq.ft.) building adds 259 beds to the U of L’s residence inventory and increases the available on-campus living space by more than 60 per cent. Students, primarily in their second and third year, will fully occupy the building beginning Sept. 2.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is a destination of choice for students across the province, the country and beyond. Mt. Blakiston House will allow more students to have an immersive and exciting experience at the U of L,” says President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon.

“With so many of our students coming to Lethbridge from rural Alberta, Calgary and beyond, being able to offer them accommodations on campus will help them succeed in their studies. Students who live in residence quickly find support networks on our campus and subsequently excel in their studies.”

Nearly 70 per cent of the U of L’s students are from outside of Lethbridge.

Gordon Jong, the U of L’s Board Chair, says the project was done with students in mind.

A look at one of the rooms inside Mt. Blakiston House residence.

“This is more than an investment in infrastructure – it is an investment in our students. This building will increase the vibrancy of our campus and make it even more desirable for prospective students,” says Jong. “Our Facilities, Housing Services and Conference Services teams have put a lot of thought into how we can make the campus environment better for our students, and the end result of their hard work clearly shows in Mt. Blakiston House.”

In addition to a contemporary design living space, amenities include large study lounges, a games room and multi-purpose study/activity space. Outdoor social activities will centre around a quad-style green space and patio area.

The 24-hour secured building is also near a large park and lake and directly across a lane from the indoor and outdoor amenities of the Gordon W. Paterson Centre, which includes access to beach volleyball, basketball and other recreational activities.

Lethbridge-West MLA Greg Weadick says Mt. Blakiston House will benefit both the U of L as well as Lethbridge residents looking for affordable housing options.

"The Government of Alberta has recognized the importance of increasing the Province's supply of affordable housing. This new residence building will not only allow the U of L to attract bright young minds to its campus, but will also open up increased rental opportunities in the City of Lethbridge," says Weadick.

An additional feature of the Mt. Blakiston House project is that it was designed to operate as a combination hotel/conference centre during the summer months, providing space for conferences up to 250 delegates, and a unique option for visitors to Lethbridge as the only hotel accommodation in West Lethbridge. The building will bring the overall campus accommodation capacity for hosting large summer events to approximately 900 beds.

"The City of Lethbridge is proud to support an investment of $3.5 million (provincial funds allocated by the city) to this very worthy project," says Mayor Rajko Dodic. "It is gratifying to see that so many students are choosing the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to further their education. Affording them the opportunity to live on campus in comfortable accommodations will, no doubt, help them feel more at home in our community."

New U of L residence gets a name

trevor.kenney — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 17:19:14 +0000

The mountain peaks of Waterton Lakes National Park serve as inspiration for the naming of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's newest student residence.

The Phase III housing complex adopts a naming convention that represents some of the highest mountain peaks in Waterton. The structure is named Mt. Blakiston House, as recently approved by the U of L's Board of Governors. Future buildings will acknowledge nearby peaks, such as Mt. Lineham, Mt. Hawkins, Mt. Alderson and Mt. Carthew.

Mt. Blakiston, the tallest mountain in Waterton Lakes National Park (9,547 ft), was named in 1858 for British explorer Thomas Blakiston. He travelled to what is now southern Alberta as part of the Palliser Expedition that, between 1857 and 1860, mapped much of western Canada on a search for possible rail routes.

"We're very excited to be putting a name to the new residence complex after having been able to refer to it only as 'Aperture Park Phase III' for so long," says Director of Housing Services, Terri Thomas. "The Waterton theme is a very good fit in that it is familiar to southern Albertans and an important part of our culture, but it also introduces visiting students to the history and geography of the area."

The $32 million, 259-bed facility opened in time for the start of school in early September, and brings the available space for resident students on campus to more than 950 beds.

The residence park at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is named Aperture Park after the Aperture sculpture, a massive installation that sits at the geographical centre of the U of L campus. Designed by noted Canadian architect Arthur Erickson, the iconic sculpture is a popular photo location.

Phase I of Aperture Park, built in the late 1980s/early 1990s, utilizes names that reflect the area's Blackfoot heritage and the members of the Blackfoot confederacy. The four residence structures are named Kainai House, Piikani House, Siksika House and Tsuu T'ina House. Phase II, opened in 2003 as unique townhome-style residences, is simply named Residence Village.

UNews - Mt. Blakiston House

Residence construction a boon to local companies

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Mt. Blakiston House welcomes students

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New U of L residence gets a name

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