February 18, 2005
CRANBROOK – The BC Liberal government will provide $15.4 million to expand the Cranbrook campus of the College of the Rockies to improve facilities and provide space for more students in the college’s academic and trades training programs.
“With B.C.’s economy back on track, the College of the Rockies is seeing increased demand for both academic programs and trades training as the East Kootenays gears up to make the most of the golden decade ahead,” said Premier Gordon Campbell. “To help achieve our goal of having the best-educated population in North America, we committed to add 450 new student spaces to the college by 2010. This funding will help provide the space needed to accommodate that growth and open up new learning opportunities for people throughout the region.”
The 4800-square-metre expansion project includes:
- Classrooms, nursing and community care laboratories, administration and study areas.
- Shop space for heavy duty and commercial transport mechanics, as well as carpentry and timber framing, currently being taught in leased premises in Kimberley.
- An additional $1.1-million investment from the college to build student union and international student space, bringing the total value of the expansion to $16.5 million.
“The College of the Rockies is key to the economic and social development of the East Kootenay, and both trades training and academic programs are attracting growing numbers of students,” said East Kootenay MLA Bill Bennett. “This expansion will give academic programs room to grow, and will support more trades training in this part of the province at a time when the demand for skilled trades workers is high.”
Construction of the new facilities is expected to begin immediately, with a target date of September 2007 for classes to begin. Funding for the expansion comes from the Ministry of Advanced Education’s 2004-05 capital budget as part of the Province’s commitment to invest $800 million in capital projects at B.C. post-secondary institutions.
