New Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation opens its doors on Western’s campus

Students, staff, and supporters gathered for the opening of the Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Western University on Sept. 27, 2024. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)

It was a chance to show off the new Ronald D. Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, located on the Western University campus.

Executive Director of Morrissette Entrepreneurship Eric Morse was among those giving tours for the building’s grand opening on Friday.

"This space in general is for students to come meet and just talk about new ideas all the time," he said.

The Schmeichel Building contains everything from 3D printers to table saws. University officials say the 100,000-square-foot building houses the largest maker space in Canada.

They say it will be available to all students across all faculties, as well as staff, faculty and alumni interested in inventing and sharing innovative ideas.

Morse said it's all about being a creative space, with the goal of bolstering the Canadian economy, "We really believe that entrepreneurship, and not just more entrepreneurs but better entrepreneurs, are critical to all of us in Canada. It's critical to the GDP. We know there's a direct correlation there. And we know that that then leads to quality of life. And so we really need to do a better job of fostering entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship here in Canada."

Ryan Martell is majoring in economics, with a minor in entrepreneurship. He is also a Schmeichel Building Founders Program member, "This is not something that is taught in school – how to be an entrepreneur, how to be a risk manager. Not necessarily a risk taker, but rather a risk manager or a risk mitigator.”

While they were contemplating creativity inside the Schmeichel Building, others were protesting for compensation outside.

Striking CUPE 2361 members took their protest right to the front doors of the Schmeichel Building at Western University on Sept. 27, 2024. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)

Striking CUPE 2361 members have been restricted to sidewalks around campus during their three weeks on strike, but on this day, they made it right to the front doors of the Schmeichel Building. They made their presence felt for those inside, with a cacophony of horns, bells, and whistles.

“We have to step up today and show them that we're not having any of that,” 2361 Vice-President Chris Yates told CTV News.

Yates refutes recent claims about the state of the collective bargaining negotiations made by the university's president, "Alan Shepard's been on the news the last few days, saying falsehoods. He's been saying that they've been in constant communication with the union. That communication has been them sending letters, outlining their deal, details of the contract to our members, trying to circumvent the negotiating team, trying to break the union, trying to divide us is what they're trying to do."

Yates says he's not surprised that the grand opening event was held, despite the ongoing strike.

He said it's all part of the university administration's commitment to portraying life on campus as business as usual, "It falls into the university's narrative of nothing's going on here. There's no problems. Everything's going as per normal, and it's obviously not normal."

Yates continues to sound the alarm about the use of replacement workers to do the work of grounds keepers, caretakers, and trades people, again calling for what the union calls anti-scab legislation for Ontario.