Fanshawe digs plans for Canadian Centre for Product Validation

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: DAN TODD
From left: Fanshawe College Peter Devlin, Mayor Matt Brown, MP for Elgin-Middlesex-London Joe Preston and Susan Rabkin, chair for the Board of Governors took a spade to break ground in the commencement of building the Canadian Centre for Product Validation.

Fanshawe College broke ground at the home of the future Canadian Centre for Product Validation (CCPV) on May 29.

The event took place on the corner of Bradley Avenue and Bonder Road, near Western University's WindEEE testing facility.

The ground breaking event hosted staff from Fanshawe, members of local government including Mayor Matt Brown, as well as MPs and MPPs.

Associate Vice President, Academic Ben Cecil opened the ceremony and was pleased to share the news with the partners Fanshawe worked with to make this happen.

“As you can see around you, the crew is on-site and has begun,” he said. “We will put the shovels in the ground as we build this new centre that will change the way the college is engaged in research, innovation and discovery.”

Cecil says the CCPV will not only benefit Fanshawe students, but businesses and industry as well.

“It's an opportunity for Fanshawe to create a culture of excellence and house leading-edge equipment, build on promising technologies, support business innovation by helping small- and medium-sized enterprises bring new technologies, products and processes to the marketplace, and more importantly to provide training needed to connect students to available jobs in a range of skill professions.”

College President Peter Devlin thanked and celebrated the partnerships that formed to make CCPV happen.

“We celebrate partnerships with government, with industry, with businesses, and this state-of-the-art facility will allow us to reinforce the vital role that research has in educating our students,” he said. “I'd like to thank the CCPV teammates — both the federal and municipal governments — for supporting the CCPV as well as creating this research park.”

“Fanshawe College is committed to moving this successful project forward; raising the profile of research and innovation in the region and delivering services that will strengthen, drive and support business and industry.”

Devlin also acknowledged the support from the City of London, which donated the 10-acre plot of land WindEEE and the future CCPV sit on.

The college plans to open the doors of CCPV in 2016.

Mayor Matt Brown congratulated Fanshawe on its ambitious timeline but is confident that it will be met.

“The Canadian Centre for Product Validation is going to add to London,” he said. “It's going to strengthen us. It's going to make us more of a leader in research development. It's going to make London even more attractive for future investments and ultimately strengthen our economy

“It's going to be the first of its kind in Canada. It's a proud moment for our city.”