Around the North

The $20-million Vale Living with Lakes Centre, opened in Sudbury on August 25, has been deemed one of the most environmentally friendly-advanced buildings in Canada.

The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in Sault Ste. Marie is divesting itself of its telecommunication assets, which will be sold to Ontera. PUC Telecom Inc. and Ontera have been jointly providing telecommunication services to Sault Ste.

The Regional Education Alliance for Community Health (REACH) building at Confederation College is now open in Thunder Bay. The $22.

The new academic wing at Sault College was officially opened on August 26. The new, 75,000-square-foot academic wing will host activities related to the school's aviation program.

Thunder Bay is home to a new Ring of Fire office opened by the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry.

A $1-million funding grant from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. (NOHFC) will facilitate upgrades and expansion to the terminal building at the Sault Ste. Marie airport to accommodate more passengers and a greater volume of flights.

NASA has bestowed the Northern Centre for Advanced Technology (NORCAT) with a prestigious award for its contributions to the organization.

The Export Marketing Assistance Program, which was launched in April, is showing positive results, with 18 companies being approved for financial assistance with export marketing initiatives.

In its new corporate strategic plan, the City of Sault Ste. Marie has cited its transportation strategy as a priority, through which it will take the lead as a transportation hub for Northern Ontario.

A quartet of Sault Ste. Marie companies is getting a break on energy costs through the Northern Industrial Electricity Rate Program (NIERP). Essar Steel Algoma, Tenaris Tubes, Flakeboard Company Ltd. and St. Marys Paper will realize a combined $55.