Students are getting set for success in the skilled trades with the opening of the newly renovated, state-of-the-art House of Cedar trades training facility at Coast Mountain College.

Renovations and upgrades to the House of Cedar, built in 1970, will provide students with modern classrooms, updated and enlarged trades workshops, a new atrium, learning commons space and food service area. The building also has updated mechanical, electrical and fire-protection systems to reduce energy consumption and meet current building code requirements.

Of the $18.4-million total project cost, the Government of B.C. provided $11.9 million, the Government of Canada provided $6.3 million and Coast Mountain College, in combination with other partners, provided more than $200,000.

“Modern learning spaces are key to helping students develop the skills they’ll need for the middle-class jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Navdeep Bains, federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. “Our government’s investment in the Coast Mountain College is another step forward in our plan to boost innovation and grow the Canadian economy.”

Attending the official opening was Melanie Mark, B.C.'s Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training, and Ken Burt, president of the college, along with students, faculty and staff.

Federal funding for the renovations was made available through the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund. In B.C., 20 public post-secondary institutions and one private First Nation institution have benefited from 30 individual projects worth a total of $682 million.

“Students, their families, local employers and communities throughout the northwest are going to benefit from cutting-edge trades training in the fully renovated House of Cedar,” Mark said. “The expanded and upgraded facility will let students gain the skills they need to build the best B.C., while staying close to family and community.”

House of Cedar will be able to accommodate up to 429 students in a variety of trades.

“Our trades students are now learning in bright, airy classrooms and modern shops with equipment that reflects the reality of their future workplaces,” Burt said. “But it's also so much more than a modern trades training facility. This building is fast becoming the hub of student, staff and faculty activity on campus – its natural light, beautiful wood beams and modern furnishings make it a welcoming and exciting place to be on campus.”

Learn More:

Canada’s Innovation Agenda: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/062.nsf/eng/home  

Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/051.nsf/eng/home