Province highlights boost to jobs in Terrace area from Coast Mountain College expansion work

A drawing of the new student housing for the Terrace campus 
of Coast Mountain College
(from Coast Mountain College website)

With the Terrace campus of Coast Mountain College taking on a new look in recent months, the province has celebrated some of the changes on the way and the boost to employment that a range of campus projects have brought to the Terrace region.

The progress on some 34 million dollars of investment into the Terrace campus has seen money put towards a new housing facility, library renovation and more accessible academic and registration hubs.

In their update from Saturday, the province estimates that some 318 jobs were created as part of the work at the Terrace facility, which Stikine MLA Nathan Cullen noted was a significant investment in the region.

“Students, regardless of where they live in the province, deserve the best we can offer in student housing that’s also on par with urban centres. These critical renovations, in addition to 108 new student housing beds, provide the type of major upgrades that show students they’re entering a post-secondary institution they can be proud of. This is also a great investment in the region and will have impact on the Terrace economy.”

Some of the other additions to the Terrace campus include:

$9 million in upgrades to the top two floors of the Spruce Building (Waap Sa’mn)

Among the changes put in place an accessible focal-point entryway with automatic doors; improvements to front-of-house services, including computers, registration counter and staff offices; more flexible learning spaces, furniture and technology for students to collaborate; reconfigured and modernized faculty and administrative spaces; and an upgrade of the building's HVAC, electrical, mechanical and technology to improve energy efficiency, air quality and comfort.

Coast Mountain College President is looking forward to the completion of the work and a chance to showcase the many new additions to the Terrace campus that the new look will bring.

“I can’t wait to see the response of our students, communities, staff and faculty to these incredible renovations and new spaces,” said Justin Kohlman, president, Coast Mountain College. “These provincial investments will ensure our students will have leading-edge experiential learning provided in a unique learning environment that honours our region.”

While the spending continues in the Terrace region, there is still no indication if any plans are in place for any new additions for the Prince Rupert campus; particularly in the area of student housing which is perhaps the greatest need at the moment, considering the state of the city's rental market.

You can review the full statement from the province on the Terrace work here.

More items of note from Coast Mountain College can be explored from our archive page.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.