Province supporting new northern Ontario community planner program
A new program is being established to attract more community planners to northern Ontario.
It is being set up at North Bay’s Nipissing University.
The program will put a focus on the planning needs in small, northern and First Nation communities.
The province is supporting the program with over $2.8 million.
“Northern Ontario is central to our province’s economic advantage, and we need the highly skilled planners to support strong, resilient northern communities,” states Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, in a release.
“By investing in the next generation of planning professionals for the North, our government is ensuring this region has the homegrown talent it needs to build more homes, highways, hospitals and other critical infrastructure we need to thrive.”
The program is the first of its kind for northern Ontario.
The program will include an Experiential Learning Centre that will provide students with cutting-edge equipment.
It will also connect students with industry leaders, community partners and local governments to make it easier to find employment after graduation.
The university will accept its first students in 2027.