It is that time of year again! I would first like to take this opportunity to extend to all of our students and staff my very best wishes for a Happy Holiday Season. The festivities during this season are exciting, and it gives us an opportunity to reflect on how fortunate we are in Canada to be able to do the things that we do. During this time we also acknowledge and reflect upon the difficulties that many people elsewhere in the world are experiencing, as well as the many people around our homes who do not have the resources or opportunities to celebrate fully. Let us all give generously this season!
It has been a very busy time at Northern Lights College during the past few months. Construction has started on the new Trades Training Centre at the Dawson Creek campus. That project will bring many jobs during construction, and when completed our students and faculty will be able to enjoy state-of-the-art facilities in which to experience learning. The construction employs new technology in wood construction and it is being built in modules. Components will be shipped to Dawson Creek in containers and assembled there. Preliminary ground work has already started.
At the Fort St. John campus extensive renovations have been completed to redevelop the previous Atrium area into a more functional student gathering space. There will be more multi-functional use for that space and it will contribute to developing a closer sense of community and ethos for our students and staff.
Another significant construction taking place is a redevelopment of the Dawson Creek Day Care facilities. This is being funded by the Ministry of Children and Family Development and it will remove the asbestos building materials that were used when the space was originally created. During construction the children have been relocated to another facility.
Our facilities staff have completed the installation of new seasonal light displays and decorations outside our campuses. It helps to add to the festive atmosphere of this season, and contributes to demonstrating to our International Students some of the festive attributes of living in northern Canada during the holiday season, where we have much longer nights, and it allows us to use festive lighting to brighten things up!
As we move forward into 2017, I want to extend my best wishes for a Happy New Year to everyone and I look forward to the new experiences that the College will be offering next year.
Best Wishes, everyone!