Northern Lights College Breaks Ground on New Trades Centre

November 2, 2016

DAWSON CREEK – Northern Lights College recently marked an important milestone with the official ground breaking of a new $33-million trades training facility at its Dawson Creek campus.

The trades training facility is supported by the Government of Canada through the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, which will enhance and modernize facilities on Canadian campuses and improve the environmental sustainability of these facilities.

The new $33-million training centre will replace the Second World War-era structure currently in use by trades students and instructors. Trades programs at the Dawson Creek campus are spread out in a number of separate buildings and sites, with programs in buildings not originally designed for trades training.

The Government of Canada is contributing $14.57 million and the Province of British Columbia is providing $15.06 million toward the $33-million cost of the project. Northern Lights College and private partners will contribute an additional $3.39 million.

The project will see a new 3,995 square-metre facility and the demolition of 4,000 square metres of existing facilities.

The construction contract was awarded to Ledcor Group.

The ground-breaking event was also an occasion to recognize the donors who will help make up the difference in the cost of the new trades building. Private partners include Canbriam Energy Inc., Encana Services Company, Shell Canada, Black Swan Energy, Continental Pipeline and TransCanada Pipeline.

The new trades centre is expected to be ready for occupancy in early 2018. The project will generate approximately 133 direct and 102 indirect jobs during development.

Nearly one million jobs openings are expected throughout the province by 2025, due to retirements and economic development, and nearly eight out of 10 of those openings will require post-secondary education and/or skilled trades training.

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