Naming of the David Johnston Research & Technology Park

On Sunday, June 6, 2011, Their Excellencies the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and Mrs. Sharon Johnston attended a special ceremony at the University of Waterloo. The Institution officially renamed its Research and Technology Park in honour of Governor General David Johnston. Dr. Hamdullahpur, President of the University, offered welcoming remarks.

His Excellency thanked the University for this wonderful tribute. He also touched on the importance of fostering research and innovation across the country, as well as on the significance of bringing together government, industry and educational institutions to facilitate research and commercialization.

Their Excellencies officially unveiled the new sign at the entrance of the David Johnston Research and Technology Park. The renaming of the park is meant to recognize His Excellency’s contributions to the university during his 11-year tenure as president, as well as his commitment to advancing research and technology in service for the people of the community and for all Canadians.

The University of Waterloo Research and Technology Park is one of 26 research parks in Canada and is located on the university’s North Campus. As of 2011, Phase I of the park is fully committed and will accommodate 1.6 million square feet of office space on 120 acres (49 hectares). When completed, the park will house over 9 000 knowledge workers, create new technology jobs, and generate billions of dollars in economic impact.

In the afternoon, His Excellency attended the launch of the Waterloo Global Sciences Initiative’s Equinox Summit: Energy 2030 at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. As patron of the summit, the Governor General delivered the opening address, speaking on the importance of innovation and collaboration in developing solutions for future energy use and supply.

Equinox Summit: Energy 2030 examines the world’s energy concerns and the need for cleaner and more sustainable production, distribution and storage of electricity. The summit is unique in that it brings together pioneering scientific experts with next-generation leaders from around the globe, all of whom are supported by the mentorship of seasoned advisors from the fields of science, engineering, public policy and industry.

The summit is focused around the co-operative creation of a blueprint document that shortlists a set of key technologies that could transform the current carbon-heavy scenario, as well as provide a roadmap on how to implement these innovations by 2030.