News Release

For Immediate Release
March 27, 2008

CREATING NEXT GENERATION OF NEW MEDIA ENTREPRENEURS

McGuinty Government Funds New University Of Waterloo Campus In Stratford

NEWS

Ontario is investing $10 million to help the University of Waterloo to create a new Stratford campus focused on global business and digital media.

This campus will generate the next generation of digital media researchers, entrepreneurs, products and services by bringing together Stratford’s renowned strengths in arts and culture and the University of Waterloo's strengths in technology.

Areas of digital media research and development at the new campus will include mobile, wireless, sound, video, gaming, web design and animation. 

QUOTES

“Ontario’s entertainment and creative cluster is a cornerstone of Ontario’s new innovative economy,” said Minister of Research and Innovation John Wilkinson. “Today’s investment is about building on our strengths, forging synergies and supporting strategic partnerships to ensure that when the next Google is developed, jobs will be created in Ontario.”

"Few regions and countries have generated the creative and collaborative synergies necessary to capitalize on the unprecedented opportunities allowed by the Internet and the rapid development of digital technologies. Through the strategic leadership of the McGuinty government, the City of Stratford, and Open Text Corporation, the dream of the UW-Stratford Campus is today closer to reality." — University of Waterloo President David Johnston

QUICK FACTS

• The new Stratford campus will be housed in a new, 6,500 square metre facility and the university anticipates that an initial class of 125 students may commence as early as 2009.
• The campus will eventually grow to 500 students, 25 faculty and 15 support staff.
• Ontario’s entertainment and creative cluster is the third largest in North America by employment after California and New York.

LEARN MORE

• The McGuinty government is supporting the digital media sector through:
  
  
  • Next Generation of Jobs Fund
  • The 2008 Budget, which proposes to enhance the Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit and provide $7 million over four years for the Interactive Digital Media Fund.
• The Ontario Media Development Corporation, an agency of the Ministry of Culture, is the central catalyst for the province’s cultural media cluster including interactive digital media.