The only regret that retiring Olds College board chair Bob Clark has is that an innovative collaboration between the province, the college and Sunterra to create a giant environmentally-friendly greenhouse operation on campus will likely occur after his eight-year tenure.
Clark says efforts to create the 10-acre greenhouse, which he says will be the largest such facility in Western Canada, have been underway for about three years.
He's hopeful it will be approved later this year, enabling construction to begin this fall.
He says the deal is now nearly done, however, it awaits final approval from the provincial government because the facility would be leased to Sunterra on land owned by the province.
Should the project get final approval, Clark says it'll be ìa great new experience for our horticulture students. We'll have new programs there on advanced technology and greenhouse technology which you train people for all across Canada.
ìNumber 2, as a part of that, it's a cogeneration project. So we would use, from that, cogeneration and we'd put that into the energy system of the college and save us likely a third of what our carbon tax is going to be.
ìNumber 3, it would provide tons of lettuce, strawberries, and for consumers here in Central Alberta and Alberta, because right now, that stuff mostly comes in from California. So it's good for the environment too,î he says.
ìSo it's a win-win for students ñ new training, new opportunities. Cogen helps our utility bill. Number 3, it's good for the environment. And number 4, it's a freshly-grown Alberta product ñ tomatoes, lettuce and strawberries. It's a win-win for all concerned.î
"It's a win-win for all concerned."BOB CLARKRETIRING CHAIR OLDS COLLEGE BOARD OF GOVERNORS
