Is it Northwest Community College’s turn?
That would certainly seem to be the case with the hints and suggestions coming from both the provincial government and the college itself regarding a major expenditure to be announced soon to extensively renovate its aging and inadequate trades building.
One of the original buildings dating back to the days of the college’s beginning as a technical training school, the trades building has been the target of college renovation planning for years.
And there’s now more. The college has set its sights on a new cafeteria building and residences with the total estimated package being in the $40 million range.
It’s an ambitious program for one of the smaller community colleges within B.C. but no less deserving compared to what’s happening elsewhere.
Just last November the provincial government’s advanced education minister, Andrew Wilkinson, announced a $18.9 million package for a new trades training facility at Selkirk College’s Nelson campus. The province is providing $14.2 million with the remainder to come from other sources, including a $1 million contribution from Selkirk itself.
With Northwest Community College’s trades building renovation to cost an estimated $14 million, an equivalent announcement from the province is within reason.