News Article

Provincial Mining Centre opens in Lab West


7/4/2001 1:06:30 PM


College of the North Atlantic held the official opening of its Provincial Mining Technology Centre at its Labrador West campus on June 28. Taking part in the ribbon cutting ceremony were, from left, Robin Walters, Associate District Administrator, Labrador West Campus, Mary Murphy, Nellie Button, manager HRCC Labrador City, Pamela Walsh, President, College of the North Atlantic, Sterling Peyton, Manager of Field Operations, ACOA, Moya Cahill, college Board Chair, Heather Bruce-Vietch, Manager of Human Resources, IOCC, Bob Simms, District Administrator, District 1 (Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador West), and Dr. Ron Sparkes, Deputy Minister, Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs.

Labrador City, June 28, 2001 -- The Provincial Mining Technology Centre at College of the North Atlantic’s Labrador West campus officially opened today.

On hand for the event were Pamela Walsh, President, College of the North Atlantic, Sterling Peyton, Manager of Field Operations for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Heather Bruce-Vietch, Manager of Human Resources at the Iron Ore Company of Canada, Nellie Button, Manager of the Labrador City Human Resource Centre of Canada and Dr. Ronald Sparkes, Deputy Minister, Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs. Also in attendance were college board chair Moya Cahill and several board members.

Originally designed to offer workplace training and upgrading for those employed in the mining industry, the Provincial Mining Technology Centre recently expanded to house the new three-year Mining and Mineral Processing program (Employee of the Future).

The centre includes a welding shop, a multi-purpose/rigging shop, an electronics lab, a mechanical lab and a computer lab. Enrollment at the centre will fluctuate depending on the training being offered. There are currently 115 students using the facility - eight Maintenance Operator Apprentices, seven in the Mining Engineering Technician program and 100 in the Mining and Mineral Processing program.

“Mining and exploration are important strategic sectors in our province’s economy,” said Lawrence O’Brien, MP for Labrador, on behalf of the Honourable Robert Thibault, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the Honourable Jane Stewart, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC). “This new centre increases training opportunities in the mining sector while demonstrating how partnerships among industry, education and government can help build human capacity in our province.”

“The completion of this centre greatly enhances the province’s capability to train individuals for careers in the mining industry,” says Ms. Walsh. “It also enhances the college’s Centre of Excellence for Mining at our Labrador West campus.”

Dr. Sparkes says the new facility will help ensure the province continues to have skilled and experienced workers available to participate in the expanding mining industry.

"Mining is a vital ingredient to Newfoundland and Labrador's growing economy and it is key to the future development of this province," says Sparkes. "With industry and government co-operation, we can create new levels of economic development and employment and bring our province to a new level of prosperity. Working together in partnership will ensure our maximum potential is reached."

Ms. Bruce-Vietch concurs.

“At IOC our vision is to become the number one producer of value added iron ore products in the world,” she said. “This can only be achieved through our most valued resource - our people. In partnership with College of the North Atlantic we are committed to supporting the Provincial Mining Technology Centre of Excellence and securing our collective futures, through investing in people.”

Funding for the Provincial Mining Technology Centre was provided by the college, $412,975; the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, $469,324; Canada-Newfoundland Labour Market Development Agreement, $631,204; and in-kind contributions from the Iron Ore Company of Canada totalling $337,240.

The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Market Development Agreement is co-managed by the Government of Canada, through Human Resources Development Canada, and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. The governments are working in partnership to provide employment programs to help unemployed workers reintegrate into the labour market. The programs are funded, in whole or in part, by the Government of Canada from the Employment Insurance (EI) account.


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For more information contact:

Stephen Lee, Communications Officer
College of the North Atlantic
(709) 643-7932

Jennifer Savoy, Press Secretary
Honourable Robert Thibault, Minister of State for ACOA
(613) 941-7291

Doug Burgess, ACOA
(709) 772-2935

Bonnie Pope, Regional Manager Communications
HRDC, NF Region
(709) 772-5346