$600,000 federal investment to expand aviation training in Cold Lake

Pictured (left to right): Cold Lake Mayor Bob Mattice, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Riverbend Matt Jeneroux, and Cold Lake First Nations Councillor Demetri Scanie – Supplied Photo

A $600,000 federal investment will help expand aviation training opportunities in Cold Lake, with renovations and upgrades planned for an aircraft hangar at the Cold Lake Regional Airport.

Announced August 26 by Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), the investment will support the City of Cold Lake in establishing a new training facility for an Aircraft Maintenance Engineering – Structures program.

The new facility will provide training space and equipment designed to prepare workers for careers in aviation maintenance, while helping address growing demand for skilled workers across the region’s aerospace and defence sectors.

For a community closely connected to military aviation through 4 Wing and Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Cold Lake, the investment represents another step toward strengthening the skilled workforce supporting the aviation and aerospace industries in the region.

“This investment from PrairiesCan is a strong vote of confidence in Cold Lake, and in the important role our community will play in the future of Canada’s aviation and aerospace industry,” said Bob Mattice, Mayor of the City of Cold Lake.

“As the proud home of 4 Wing Cold Lake, aviation is an integral part of our community’s history. This project builds on that foundation, and through strong partnerships, will help develop the skilled workforce our region and Canada’s aviation industry need to thrive well into the future.”

The federal government says the investment also supports its efforts to rebuild, rearm and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces by helping develop the skilled workforce and domestic industrial capacity needed to support Canadian military personnel.

The Government of Canada noted that Cold Lake has played an important role in both national defence and the energy sector for generations. The region became home to the first new Royal Canadian Air Force flying station built in Canada following the Second World War in the 1950s, and remains an important centre for Canadian energy and national defence.