On Friday, government officials and community members gathered to celebrate the opening of the new Metro Vancouver Sustainability Academy at the Annacis Wastewater Centre.
The provincial and federal governments committed $3 million each toward the $9 million project. Metro Vancouver and the University of British Columbia (UBC) provided the remaining $3 million.
The new academy – which will provide laboratory facilities for wastewater treatment research, education and training – is the first of a network of sustainability academies to be opened by Metro Vancouver to link research, innovation, education and community outreach in areas like waste management, water supply, parks, air quality and food systems.
Metro Vancouver chairwoman Lois Jackson said, “As the first of a series of sustainability academies, the Annacis Wastewater Centre will help transform our entire approach to dealing with sewage.
“Sewage is a source of renewable energy and vital nutrients and the work that will take place in the academy will allow us to find novel and innovative ways to extract these important resources and stop treating sewage as simply waste.”
Jennifer Harrison
@JHarrisonBIV