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We Pay the GST Save Up to 50% 0 CC to Jan. 5 / *"*~>*~*~"‘ _ Cederal government comes through u%) QW with funding for UW technology park 140 University Ave. E. Waterloo 746â€"7070 Handâ€"Crafted Solid V Furniture for the Enti Home Professional Finishinfl Right on the Premises Custom Made Designs Available to Suit Your Specific Needs Unfinished Furniture Available for the Doâ€"I Yourselfer [GnssS] 1980 â€" ( :onstruc(iun of the University _ of Watâ€" erloo‘s Research and Technology Park will begin later this month after the federal government came through with its portion of the funding for the project. And there is already some early interest in the project from some highâ€"technology players, as Andy Mitchell, Secretary of State for Rural Development, _ confirmed last week> that Industry Canada would pony up $13.4 million as the federal government‘s contribution to the new project. It was the last piece in the funding puzzle for the highâ€" tech park, that is expected to create as many as 6,000 jobs locally, after the province Gataxy Cinemas, The Bay, Zeuuers, Zenrs, Winners, Srport CHEK 550 KING STREET NORTH, W;TERLOO, ON N2L 5we | TEL:(519) 886â€"5500 CONESsTOGA MALL By Bos VRBANAC Chronicle Staff Toy Story Farm Toy Show and Sale Saturday, January 5th 9:30 pm â€" 4:00 pm Charity Auction at 1pm came on board the week before. It was also the culmination of a unique public/private partnership to help fund the infrastructure for the project by all levels of government, including a $7.7 million conâ€" tribution from the City of Waterloo and a $5.7 million contribution from the Region of Waterloo. The infrastructure investâ€" ment will be used to support improvements to the road network surrounding the project and the extension of hard services like sewers and hydro _ to the 100â€"acre research park site. In addition to the physiâ€" cal infrastructure improveâ€" ments, the money will also go to the construction of.a public facility to assist new companies in the commerâ€" cialization of technology. | SsAT 9:30 AM â€" 6 PM | SUN 12 NOOM â€" 5 PM SOLID GOLD : ° REALTY (if) m;] upgrade â€" the â€" technology infrastructure used in the regional transportation sysâ€" tem, and see the installation of a fibreâ€"optic telecommuâ€" nications network to provide highâ€"speed Internet access to the park. The project will cost $214 million when it is completed in 2006, and it is expected to generate $5â€"10 billion a year to the export economy of Waterloo region. "It will mean that. local companies will be able to expand. and not have to go elsewhere," said Waterloo MP Andrew Telegdi, on hand for the announcement. "It will also mean better ties between the university and the highâ€"tech companies that it spawns." While the plan for the parcel of land on the north campus was in the works for decades, it‘s been in the last five years that a concrete proposal for the project finally took shape. The proâ€" ject had its growing pains, with the collapse of the priâ€" vate WatPark consortium plan last year. But with more than $40 million in public money invested in the park, Telegdi said it will be the engine that drives the economy through the next century. "If you look at this region, we lost many of our industriâ€" al employers," said Telegdi "The highâ€"tech sector literal ly filled the gap. _ _ "So much of this has come out of our institutions of higher education." And much of the region‘s future economic developâ€" ment will also come out of this sixâ€"way partnership that _ also _ includes â€" the Communitech Technology Association. "For anyone who doesn‘t believe in supporting public education, this is a great example of what higher eduâ€" cation does," said Telegdi. "When you do one of these things, you can never imagâ€" ine what will flow from it." That potential also has University of Waterloo presiâ€" dent David Johnston excitâ€" ed, with discussion already underway with some potenâ€" tial tenants. f "Those discussions will now intensify," said Johnston. "We‘re keeping our fingers crossed." And he couldn‘t say enough about the governâ€" ment support from all levels that have made the idea of the park become reality. "It was necessary to have the public investment to put it into the commercial range," said Johnston. "If you look at the research and technology parks across Canada, the U.S. and the world, they tend to require the jumpstart of a public investment. We have that here now." It‘s also a commitment that people in the highâ€"tech industry have wanted for a number of years, said Greg Barratt, president of the Communitech Technology Association that represents so many of those local comâ€" panies. "We‘re â€" really _ thrilled about | it," said Barratt. "We‘ve never had the full partnership right from the beginning like the partnerâ€" ship that was created here." But Barratt called it just the end of the beginning, and said it is now important to keep up the momentum and get some actual tenants signed. He said there‘s been interest expressed over the last six to eight months that should turn into something more concrete with the pubâ€" lic funding in place. "Now we have a great chance to digest it, turn it around and look people in the eye and tell them what we‘ve got," said Barratt. "We‘ll ask them what we need to do to get them on the site." "For anyone who doesn‘t believe in supporting public education, this is a great example of what higher education does." â€" Andrew Telegdi Waterloo MP