For Smith Engineering faculty and students, the hum of the McLaughlin Hall Machine Shop is the sound of ideas taking shape. It’s where 3D printers, laser cutters, milling machines, and other state-of-the-art tech transform classroom concepts into real-world prototypes. And thanks to a new gift from the Canerector Foundation, that creative energy is about to grow even stronger.
The $1.5-million gift will fuel the kind of hands-on learning that increasingly defines the Smith Engineering student experience. It will support everything from programming to equipment to research at the 7,000-square-foot machine shop – a space where students learn by doing, experimenting, and working together. In appreciation of this generous support, the shop’s main bay area will be named the Canerector Foundation Machining Lab.
For Amanda Hawkins, Sc’07, CEO of the Toronto-based industrial group Canerector Inc. and a proud Queen’s mechanical engineering alumna, this gift is both a nod to her roots and those of many of her team’s. It’s also an investment in the next generation of engineers.
“Hands-on learning is where everything clicks,” she says. “When students spend time in the machine shop, they gain a true sense of what it means to turn an idea into something real. That experience builds the practical judgment and curiosity that define great engineers, and we’re proud to help make that possible.”
The Canerector Foundation was founded by the Hawkins family, owners of Canerector Inc., a group of more than 50 North American companies that design and manufacture industrial products. Since its launch in 2019, the foundation has donated more than $30 million to a variety of causes, primarily related to education, housing, health care, and research.
For Smith Engineering Dean Kevin Deluzio, Sc’88, MSc’90, PhD’98, the support from Canerector couldn’t come at a better time.
“Spaces like the machine shop are central to our ongoing reimagining of engineering education at Queen’s around technically rigorous, experientially focused, and creatively inspired learning,” he says. “This is where students gain the confidence and know-how to tackle open-ended challenges and learn from trial and error. The Canerector Foundation’s support ensures this environment continues to thrive.”
Each year, numerous students use the machine shop to prototype and build parts for their courses, capstone projects, and student-led teams. The shop’s expert staff and state-of-the-art tools help them turn blueprints into breakthroughs.
Professor Keith Pilkey, Head of the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, says the new fund will help keep that innovation cycle spinning.
“This gift gives us the flexibility to maintain and expand the shop’s capabilities as technology evolves, and to continue to offer meaningful, hands-on learning that sets our engineers apart,” he says. “It supports the people, equipment, and programs that make this such a special place for our students. We can’t thank the Canerector Foundation enough.”
Learn more about the McLaughlin Hall Machine Shop, Canerector, and the Canerector Foundation.
