Aurora College gets nearly $10.6M for new facility, campus solar power project

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 Collegeat the legislature on Friday.

The bulk of the funding, about $10.4 million, will support a new heavy equipment operators' facility at theAuroracampus in Fort Smith.Ottawa is contributing$4.1million while the territorial government is pitching in more than $6.3million.

The remaining$200,000 will be used for a rooftop solar project at Aurora Institute in Inuvik.

The heavy equipment operatorprogram has been offered since 1968 and is in desperate need of a new facility, said Louis Sebert, the MLA for the region.

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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 saidinterest 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," Mosessaid.

Solar project for Inuvikcampus

The plan for the Inuvik solar project is to install a 25-kilowatt solar array on the roof. It willprovide up to 25 per cent of the building's annual electrical needs.

Moses saidthat's a big win for the college given the community's reliance on diesel for generating electricity.