Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and BC Premier Christy Clark were in Surrey today to announce a new $126-million, five-storey building to house energy engineering courses at Simon Fraser Univeristy's Surrey campus. The feds and province are each kicking in $45 million, with SFU picin gup another $26 million, plus putting in $10 million worth of land.

Welcome news for Surrey, no doubt, and having more engineers is a must for the BC economy. 

But I can't help but wonder how politicians can find $126 million for this new facility, when SFU's flagship Burnaby campus is crumbling. From an SFU facilities report:

Deferred maintenance and capital renewal requirements for SFU's core academic buildings on the Burnaby campus are now estimated at $730 million. All of the facilities originally constructed at the inception of the university (1965) are reaching the end of their expected lifespan. A continuing program of renewal is urgently needed for the Shrum Science buildings, Library, Education Building and Academic Quadrangle and other older academic buildings so that they may remain useful for their intended purposes. This is in addition to the deferred maintenance problems in non-academic buildings such as student residences, athletics facilities and facilities infrastructure.

This isn't some number dreamed up by SFU. The media has covered plenty of stories showing buildings in decay on Burnaby Mountain - including some that had to be closed.

It's the old story: politicians love cutting ribbons on new, glitzy projects - but get bored with the idea of maintaining the core infrastructure taxpayers have already purchased.