Brock University today got a big boost from BMO Financial Group: a $500,000 gift to help complete a major renewal and expansion of Brock’s Goodman School of Business.

The donation was delivered to University President Jack Lightstone by Shawn Namvar, BMO’s Regional Vice President, Personal Banking. The gift will support the Goodman School expansion project, and is specifically earmarked for the state-of-the-art BMO Financial Group Lecture Hall.

“We are thrilled that BMO is a partner with us on this important capital expansion,” said Lightstone. “This visionary donation represents real, tangible benefits to the education of students for many, many years.”

Namvar welcomed the opportunity to work with Brock.

“We are pleased to support the expansion of the Goodman School of Business and invest in a thriving community for the students of Brock University and residents of St. Catharines,” said Namvar. “BMO is deeply committed to the education of students across Canada, and we’re proud to partner with Brock to provide a unique learning experience for tomorrow’s leaders.”

The Goodman School of Business has 2,890 undergraduate and 519 graduate students. It offers three undergraduate and three graduate degrees, as well as some of Ontario’s most successful co-op programs.

Barry Wright, Interim Dean of the Goodman School, hailed BMO for playing a significant role in helping to develop Canada’s future business leaders.

“The University, and the Goodman School in particular, are committed to giving students the best experience possible,” said Wright. “This generous gift will help create the type of facilities that enable Goodman faculty members to prepare students to be builders of positive change in Niagara, across Canada and beyond.”

Work will begin next year on the $22-million project to expand the Goodman School from its current 50,526 sq. ft. to 76,758 sq. ft. Besides reconfiguring and modernizing Goodman’s current facilities in Taro Hall, the project will increase the number of classrooms by 50 per cent and add interview rooms, a Dean’s suite and a large atrium that will become a striking new feature adjacent to two other University landmarks: the Schmon Tower, and the bronze sculpture of Maj.-Gen. Sir Isaac Brock.

In announcing the provincial budget last spring, the Ontario government committed $10 million to the Goodman School project. A significant part of the project’s capital costs are also being met by a major gift from the family of businessman Ned Goodman, who was Brock’s Chancellor for seven years before stepping down this fall.