By RICK HOULE
In an effort to encourage economic growth and keep dollars in the community, the City of Thunder Bay is looking at the benefits of a Protective and Emergency Services Training Centre.
Northwestern Ontario is unable to compete with the south when it comes to the type of training that would be made available in emergency services, says Mary Long-Irwin, president of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce.
The estimated $25-million training centre would not only match those in the south, it would surpass its counterparts in a variety of ways, something Long-Irwin says would be crucial to economic growth in the community.
“The (training centre) would have a significant positive impact on the economy of the region,” she says. “A training centre of this magnitude would create jobs, reduce cost for local business, and provide an opportunity for youth to train locally.”
While Thunder Bay’s Confederation College offers training in the form of law and security administration and police foundations programming, the proposed centre would offer training not readily available through the community colleges, which would encourage students to stay in the area.
“The colleges will continue to do the courses they offer. We can partner with the colleges to offer the training for the next step,” Long-Irwin says.
The programs offered through community colleges provide students with a solid foundation, but Long-Irwin says there are many in the field that require further training.
“At any time there are 4,000 people that require training in the area,” Long-Irwin says.
“The centre would offer specialized certification training in platform training, aerial high rescue training, vehicle and room fires training, first aid/CPR training, and the list continues.”
The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce unanimously supported the project after Long-Irwin made her presentation and the chamber will begin to take the necessary steps to begin the project.
According to Long-Irwin, the preliminary research has been completed and the final pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fall into place.
“We expect to have a business plan completed by the summer,” she says. “We can then apply for funding. We hope to get started later this year.”
