Yukon College opens new mining education building

Yukon College is beginning a new school year with a brand new $8.3 million facility on its Whitehorse campus — the Centre for Northern Innovation in Mining (CNIM) building.

The new building has two sections. One has classrooms and another is an airplane hangar-sized workshop floor.

The building was officially opened with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on Thursday.

"This is so exciting," said Yukon MP Larry Bagnell at the opening. The CNIM receives core funding from both the federal and territorial governments. 

The mining school was first announced in 2013 by then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and the program's first batch of students graduated last year.

Bagnell reflected on a time when he used to work in Watson Lake and he'd see people arrive from elsewhere to mine in Yukon.

"It was very frustrating to see all the employees fly in, right into the mine from down south, then fly out. And meanwhile there were Yukoners without jobs," he said.

The CNIM is meant to help build a local skilled workforce, said Premier Darrell Pasloski.

"As mineral prices improve and mining companies increase production, employment opportunities will increase in the mining industry and sectors that serve the mining industry," he said

​"The training and skill development that happens here will help ensure that the next wave of skilled miners are Yukoners."

The CNIM is based in Whitehorse but also works with a mobile 'trades training trailer' which can be trucked to road-accessible communities. 

The first programs taught in the building will be carpentry and electrical. Students' first big project will be to build a storage unit for the mining school.