Centennial College gets significant funding for new aerospace campus

TORONTO — The federal and Ontario governments are kicking in more than $44 million so Centennial College can open a new campus dedicated to aerospace programs in Toronto.

The Centennial College Downsview Park Aerospace Campus will be home to three aerospace and aviation-related programs, with an expected 900 students.

“Centennial’s new training facility will anchor Ontario’s first aerospace industry cluster, deemed vital to meeting challenges to Canada’s fifth-place ranking as an aerospace technology provider in a global market,” said Ann Buller, President and CEO of Centennial College. “But more than that, the rejuvenation of the historic de Havilland plant will bring new activity to a local community that will benefit from it, as well as form a magnet for Canadian aerospace investment. It will also strengthen Centennial’s ranking as a top-10 applied research college in Canada.”

Ontario is committing $25.8 million to the project, while Ottawa is committing $18.4 million.

More than half of the world’s top 25 aerospace firms do business in Ontario. The Ontario aerospace sector directly employs over 21,000 workers and supports another 17,000.

Ontario is home to 14 of the world’s top 25 aerospace companies, and does $5.3 billion in annual sales.

Premier Kathleen Wynne says it is important for Canada and Ontario, with relatively small populations globally, to “punch above our weight” and leading in innovation is an important way to do that.

“Ontario is invested in this project because it will incubate and grow well-paying jobs and professionally rewarding jobs for Ontario students and it will help Ontario to accelerate our position as a leader in the global innovation economy, attracting investment, opening up opportunities for our businesses in order to bring more groundbreaking innovations to market,” Wynne said.

www.centennialcollege.ca