Aurora College gets nearly $10.6M for new facility, campus solar power project
Bulk of the funding to pay for new heavy equipment operators' facility
Two Aurora College campuses will get new infrastructure after a multi-million dollar funding announcement from the federal and territorial governments.
Politicians jointly announced the nearly $10.6 million in funding for Aurora College at the legislature on Friday.
The bulk of the funding, about $10.4 million, will support a new heavy equipment operators' facility at the Aurora campus in Fort Smith. Ottawa is contributing $4.1 million while the territorial government is pitching in more than $6.3 million.
The remaining $200,000 will be used for a rooftop solar project at Aurora Institute in Inuvik.
The heavy equipment operator program has been offered since 1968 and is in desperate need of a new facility, said Louis Sebert, the MLA for the region.
Sebert was accompanied by Northwest Territories MP Michael McLeod and N.W.T. Education Minister Alfred Moses for Friday's announcement.
"This investment will help Canadians prepare for well-paying middle class jobs of tomorrow," McLeod said. "Students, teachers and researchers will work in state-of-the-art facilities."
Moses said interest in the program is growing, which is why it's important to provide students with a modern facility.
"There are going to be a large number of jobs as we further develop the North and the heavy equipment operators' facility will be strategically positioned to train Northern residents to fill those jobs," Moses said.
Solar project for Inuvik campus
The plan for the Inuvik solar project is to install a 25-kilowatt solar array on the roof. It will provide up to 25 per cent of the building's annual electrical needs.
Moses said that's a big win for the college given the community's reliance on diesel for generating electricity.