Colleges target for spring construction start.

Two of Sudbury's post-secondary institutions are expanding facilities to better the education of the students attending them.

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Construction of the new $3.7-million Trades Training and Apprenticeship building at College Boreal is slated for completion by early August, says Daniel Giroux, dean of trades and technology. It is expected to be available for students in the 2006-07 academic year.

Tribury Construction began work on the building in October 2005.

An investment of $500,000 was made for "state-of-the-art" equipment, including welding equipment, rolling machines, hydro electric equipment and overhead cranes. This will give students an opportunity to "have the latest technology available to them," says Giroux.

Funding for this project was provided by a number of contributors such as Fednor, Duke Energy Fund (Union Gas Ltd.), as well as College Boreal.

Equipment for the welding and fabrication technician program and the heavy equipment repair technician program should be moved into the building by Aug. 14.

A new building is also in the developing stages at Cambrian College, which will house equipment for its new energy systems program.

The project is still in the "conceptual drawings and descriptives" phase, which "is to be completed by the end of August," says John Hood, project manager. The second phase of the project will include final architectural drawings and fundraising, which is expected to be completed in the spring.

"Hopefully construction will begin next spring," says Hood. "The architectural firms of BNIM Architects and Castellan James Architects are doing the conceptual work."

It is not known as of yet how much the construction of the building will cost or how large it will be.

"That is part of the conceptual phase."

By JENNIFER HANSFORD

For Northern Ontario Business