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Federal government supporting 5 renovation projects at Keyano

Last Updated May 25, 2017 at 11:50 am MDT

PHOTO. Federal and provincial government posing for a photo after announcing just over $20M in funding to colleges across Alberta. Jenna Hamilton/MORNING REPORTER.

Keyano College will receive multiple renovations and upgrades to their campuses in Fort McMurray.

The federal government announced on May 25, 2017 that they have invested $19.63 million to 12 projects at colleges across Alberta.

“I am confident that these investments that will bring significant benefits to our country. This investment will create the right conditions for innovation and long term growth,” said Parliamentary Secretary, David Lametti, who was in Fort McMurray to make the announcement.

On top of the federal governments money, the provincial government will also contribute $2.2 million towards these renovations and upgrades across Alberta.

“Simply put, these investments are more than just investments in bricks and mortar. They are investments in Alberta’s and Canada’sĀ future,” said Minister of Advanced Education, Marlin Schmidt.

The five projects at Keyano College will be:

  • Renovation of the Doug Schmidt Lecture Hall
  • Upgrades to the Suncor Energy Industrial Campus
  • Upgrades to the Clearwater Campus
  • Upgrades to the heating plant
  • Completion of the Oilsands Power and Process Engineering Lab

“As a result of these investments, our college will be better positioned to meet the post-secondary education needs of our communities and our industry. We will enjoy the positive impacts for many years to come,” said Keyano College President and Chief Executive Officer, Tracy Edwards.

The upgrade to the heating plant at the college’s main campus will increase the buildings reliability and efficiency, which will reduce ongoing operational costs.

The money going toward the upgrades to both campuses will contribute to improving the college’s environmental sustainability.

Another project that the federal and provincial investment will support is the completion of the Oilsands Power and Process Engineering Lab.

“This project provides a controlled environment for our specialized training in power engineering. The facility helps us train new workers and also gives existing trades people the opportunity to upgrade their skills,” said Edwards.

A smaller project in scale compared to the others on the list, the full renovation of the existing Doug Schmidt lecture theatre that will improve Keyano’s ability to deliver outreach education to the community’s rural areas.

Other colleges seeing upgrades will be Lethbridge College, Portage and Grande Prairie Regional College.