Mining magnate Rob McEwen and his wife, Cheryl, have donated $10 million to Sudbury’s architecture school.
The gift means the school, an initiative of Laurentian University, will now be known as the McEwen School of Architecture.
Of the contribution, $4 million will be used to complete the construction of the facility, while the remaining $6 million will “enhance the student experience and maximize their capacity to become agents of change for architecture globally.”
“Investing in Laurentian’s School of Architecture is a thrilling and proud moment for us. This school’s focus on green and sustainable design, rooted in Northern landscapes and community, is creating unique opportunities for the next generation of architects,” said Rob McEwen in a release.
“We are already seeing the impact the school has had on Northern communities in its first three years, and we look forward to the innovation and excellence in design these young leaders will achieve in years to come.”
Dr. Terrance Galvin, the school’s founding dean, called the donation a “transformative gift.”
After a successful career in financial services and investment management, McEwen became one of Canada’s leading executives in the mining industry. He is the founder of Goldcorp Inc., which he grew from a small company with a market capitalization of $50 million to a global player worth more than $10 billion.
He is currently the chair and chief owner of McEwen Mining Inc. and of Lexam VG Gold Inc., which explore for and mine gold, silver, and copper, in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Argentina.
The architecture school welcomed its charter class in September 2013. It will launch its Master of architecture graduate program in 2017.
