President Robert J. Graham was joined by representatives from provincial and municipal levels of government including Donna Skelly, Member of Provincial Parliament for Flamborough – Glanbrook, Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger and Councillor Lloyd Ferguson at the official groundbreaking of the new residence and learning facility. Board Chair Dr. Hazel Lynn and Student Senate President Samuel Vandeputte also brought greetings.

Redeemer is grateful for its generous support community, having already received $14 million in pledges for the new facility.

“We’re pleased today to celebrate this important milestone in Redeemer’s history,” says President Dr. Robert J. Graham. “The new residence and learning facility will accommodate Redeemer’s steady enrolment growth over the coming years allowing us to continue our commitment to educating the whole person, integrating life, faith and learning on a spiritually vibrant campus.”

In 2019, Redeemer restructured tuition and fees, lowering tuition by as much as 42 per cent as part of a plan to grow enrolment and put Christian university education within reach for many more students. Since then, enrolment has increased from approximately 690 students two years ago to nearly 900 this fall. Redeemer anticipates over 1,000 students in fall 2021, more than the university has ever had since its founding in 1982.

The Honorable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Labour, and Member of Parliament for Hamilton West – Ancaster – Dundas also sent best wishes upon the milestone. “I congratulate Redeemer University on the groundbreaking of its new facility. As one of Hamilton’s three excellent post secondary learning institutions, I am happy to see Redeemer University expand its presence in our city. This reinforces Hamilton as a centre for post secondary education.”

The makeup and location of the building, a key tactic of Learn. Forward. Redeemer’s 2025 Strategic Plan, flows directly out of Redeemer’s mission to provide an education that integrates faith and encompasses all of life and learning. The new facility will have 170 beds in two-, four-, six-, and eight-student units, each with kitchens and common space, as well as classrooms and breakout rooms on the lower level.

Construction began in August and the building is scheduled to be open by September 2021. Visit redeemer.ca/build for more details about the project.