News

It is a summer of construction on the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus.

Work is well underway on the $24.2 million biomass co-generation project which will replace the campus’s aging steam lines with hot water lines, replace the wood boiler, add appropriate and required air quality controls and a turbine to create electricity.  Dal will also be identifying local sources of biomass from waste residues (ex. bark), yard waste, land-clearing from pre-approved developments, and appropriately harvested stem wood.

“This new facility aligns well with a number of our research areas in renewable energy and will provide opportunities for us to put research into practice,” said Dean and Campus Principal Dr. David Gray

A new feed barn to replace that which was tragically destroyed by fire in August of 2015 is also underway at the Ruminant Animal Centre as well as a Student Learning Commons.

A Student Learning Commons has long been a priority on the Agricultural Campus and will soon be realized within the vacant top floor of the MacRae Library.  This new common space will allow for socializing, informal learning, networking and support for students.

The top floor of the MacRae Library was vacated by the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture in July 2016 and given its connection to the Library and central location on the Agricultural Campus makes it ideal for a student-focused space.

As much as this is good news for the Agricultural campus and the Faculty of Agriculture, it can disrupt the regular flow of events.

“Because of mass construction taking place on the Agricultural Campus this summer, we are not going to be able to host our annual Community Day on our campus,” said Dean Gray.  “There is too much machinery and too much work going on so this year we are going to take the Agricultural Campus to you -  the community.”

Rain or shine, the 2017 Community Day will take place at the Truro Civic Square and Farmer’s Market in downtown Truro on July 20^th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.   There will be hands-on activities for children, ice-cream, demonstrations, music, tractors, food trucks, an alumni market and much more. 

“Although we won’t be on campus this year, we still want to provide our community with a memorable experience and give them a flavor of our campus, explained Amy Totten, Marketing Manager.  “We look forward to getting into the community and showing people the incredible work we do here.”

Visitors to Community Day 2017 will also have the opportunity to see how these construction projects will change campus through visual displays and are invited to see them first-hand during Community Day 2018 back on campus.

 For more information, visit:  dal.ca/communityday