2010-04-23
Sudbury – The Honourable Rick Bartolucci, Sudbury MPP and Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, announced today an investment of close to $4 million towards the funding of Collège Boréal’s new Institute of Trades.
Provided primarily through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, this contribution is in addition to the $5.5 million granted as part of the Strategic Capital Infrastructure Program. Thanks to its own contribution totalling $5.5 million, Collège Boréal has now obtained $15 million for a project estimated at 22 million dollars. Enjoying the support of numerous community partners, these new infrastructures are part of Collège Boréal’s societal project, an ambitious approach intended to stem the phenomenon of cultural disengagement of Ontario’s francophone population. On top of the purely teaching aspect, the purpose of this investment project is to provide to all Franco-Ontarians an authentic cultural hub where each individual will feel at home and can take advantage of the best opportunities at the educational, personal and professional levels. The President of Collège Boréal, Denis Hubert, stresses the importance of this new funding in the implementation of the institution’s societal approach: “Thanks to this contribution from the provincial government, Collège Boréal will be able to develop new programs that are yet inaccessible to most of the French-speaking citizens of the province. By allowing students of the French-language school boards, the graduates of immersion programs, French-speaking Native and Métis people as well as French-speaking immigrants to have access to a wider choice of programs offered in their language, Collège Boréal intends to contribute to the advancement of the Franco-Ontarian culture while reinforcing its participation in the economic development of our province.”
With an additional surface of approximately 90,000 square feet, these new infrastructures will complement the current facilities of the college main campus whose total size will be near 417,000 square feet. Thus, the number of additional students likely to benefit from these new trades programs in French is evaluated at more than 700. Among these programs are those of Masonry, Painter/Decorator, Heath and Safety, Milling Machinist. The recognized bilingualism of Collège Boréal students will also be an asset with regard to trainings in Culinary Arts and Stage Technician that the college plans to offer starting in the 2011 Fall session.
From left to right: Denis Hubert, President of Collège Boréal; The Honourable Rick Bartolucci, Sudbury MPP and Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services; Philippe Boissonneault, Chair of Collège Boréal's Board of Governors
“Promoting knowledge and a vibrant culture”This is Collège Boréal’s vision, a French-language institution of postsecondary and skills training, established in 1995, that contributes to the growth and development of communities in Northern and Central-Southwestern Ontario. With the highest graduation rate for the last 8 years and, for the 7th time in 11 years, the highest graduate satisfaction rate among the 24 community colleges in Ontario, Collège Boréal encourages the values of humanism, excellence and inclusion as well as an active awareness of environmental issues that affect our society. Finally, Collège Boréal is the first education sector representative officially designated by the government of Ontario under the French Language Services Act.
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For more information: Benoît Clément Manager, Strategic Communications Collège Boréal 705-560-6673, extension 1235 benoit.clement@borealc.on.ca