We’re a credit union and community building is what we do. So when the University of Regina (U of R) put out a call for development partners for its College Avenue Campus renewal project, Conexus jumped at the chance to help save the historic campus.

With our proud history of supporting education, arts and culture, we saw this project as a natural fit. Conexus submitted a unique proposal that put our co-operative principles to work to make a meaningful difference in the community. We’re thrilled the university chose to partner with Conexus.

In 2016, the U of R issued a request for proposals (RFP) looking for a development partner that could help save College Avenue Campus. Sharing similar values as the University, Conexus submitted a proposal and became the chosen partner.

As part of this partnership, Conexus is contributing $8.25 million in direct support to support the university's plans to revitalize the College Avenue Campus together with additional space, mechanical upgrades and amenities to help restore Darke Hall.

Located west of Darke Hall, the Conexus building is 80,000 square feet. A new atrium link connects Darke Hall and the Conexus building, increasing accessibility and expanding the functionality of Darke Hall. The atrium also enables us to help the University save an estimated additional $10 million on infrastructure, maintenance and utilities like shared heating/cooling infrastructure.

The building houses Conexus' corporate employees and over 15,000 square feet is used for Conexus' business incubator, Cultivator. Since launching in early 2019, Cultivator has incubated over 75 Saskatchewan companies resulting in 300+ jobs being created, $22.8 million in private capital raised and $14.4 million in revenue generated. This new space allows us to grow even more startups and provide resources to grow our entrepreneurial ecosystem.