Bishop's University residence renovations costing $41M

Natural light is scant in the hallways of the Mackinnon residence at Bishop's University. Built in the 1960s, the building has a distinctly Cold War-era look.

The odour in the hallway can only be described as the cumulative smell of 60 years of student living.

But for third-year student Aidan Peck, it's home.

"The community aspect, everyone knowing your name, having someone to eat a meal with ... I don't think you can find it anywhere else," he said.

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Six Bishop's residences will be renovated in the next few years. The first, Abbott, was done last school year.

It's a $41 million project born out of necessity. Some of the residences are pushing 50 years old.

With repair costs mounting, it made sense to renovate them completely. As well, in the foreseeable future, the buildings would no longer meet fire safety codes, making heavy-handed renovations inevitable.

Budget troubles

But renovating the buildings — and possibly tearing down and rebuilding Mackinnon — is a considerable cost during what is a financially difficult time for Bishop's. The small liberal arts university's entire operating budget is just under $50 million, and in recent years, it hasn't been able to balance its books.

Last year's budget showed a deficit of $4.5 million.

Bishop's Vice Principal Finances and Administration said the school will take out a loan to pay for the renovations. France Gervais said the university will pay $1.5 million in interest rates over the next 25 years to pay off the debt.

"We're struggling to find the funds because it's not funded by the government," said Gervais.

A Quebec university funding formula allows government to pay for academic, administrative and research buildings on campus, but not residences. Gervais said fees can't be hiked because that's not allowed under the province's Régie du Batîment rules.

More support needed

She also said part of the reason Bishop's books are in disarray is because its portion of provincial funding is unfair.

Despite comparable enrolment with some of the Université du Québec's satellite campuses, Gervais said they receive less money from the government.

"We're not receiving close to what the smallest universities in Université du Québec are receiving," she said. "That's mostly our argument right now."

She said the university is currently negotiating with the provincial government to increase its funding.