PORT HAWKESBURY, N.S. — The Nova Scotia Community College Strait Area Campus will receive provincial funding for upgrades.
The Port Hawkesbury facility is one of nine campuses across the province that were listed Wednesday to be part of the provincial government’s investment of $19.4-million for infrastructure upgrades at NSCC locations.
The investment is part of the province’s recently announced $230-million in infrastructure stimulus spending, a response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Strait Area Campus will use the money to upgrade its culinary kitchen. The project will be phase two of upgrades, which are currently underway in the kitchen area.
“We’re very excited to be part of the announcement,” said Vivek Saxena, principal of the Strait Area Campus. “With this additional funding, we’ll be able to complete phase two of the project.”
Phase two will include equipment upgrades to create a more modern learning lab as well as ventilation upgrades to improve air quality.
“The lead designer is in place and the designs are complete,” said Saxena, who was named the new principal of the campus in May.
Other NSCC campuses receiving upgrades include Burridge Campus (Yarmouth), Cumberland Campus (Springhill), Truro Campus, Institute of Technology Campus (Halifax), Kingstec Campus (Kentville), Pictou Campus (Stellarton), Akerley Campus (Dartmouth) and Shelburne Campus.
Along with culinary kitchen upgrades, projects at other locations will include campus residence washroom upgrades, making the washrooms universal or gender-neutral and fully accessible.
Five of the nine projects will be exterior wall upgrades, which the province says will be essential in helping to extend the life of campus buildings.
The province says project designs are complete and the contractor tenders are in place. Work on some of the projects has begun and the remainder of the projects will begin this summer.
The tender for phase two of the project in Port Hawkesbury is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
The cost of the Strait Area Campus project was not available. Saxena said the cost will be determined once tenders are awarded.
All projects are expected to be completed by March 31, 2021.
