Okanagan College shows off revamped trades facilities

KELOWNA – After years of work Okanagan College is ready to show off its new Kelowna trades facilities.

Shops have been upgraded, a new trades centre has been built and students have moved into the new space.

“We now have a state-of-the-art, highly efficient, energy efficient, leading edge facility,” said dean of trades and apprenticeship Steve Moores as he gave a tour of the new building.

The $33-million project got another boost Monday with a sizeable donation.

Two Kelowna car dealerships donated $100,000. The money will pay to help the college equip a lounge for students.

There is a direct connection for the dealerships. Twenty-six of their employees are Okanagan College automotive students or alumni.

“We’ve been involved with the college for the last 30 years with our employees and actually my father past a year-and-a half-ago and he was a big supporter of the college so we are doing it in kind of a legacy format for him,” said Dan Assam owner of Kelowna Ford and Orchard Ford.

As part of the trades revamp, the college is aiming to raise $7 million: $5 million for construction and another $2 million for student support which includes things like scholarships and bursaries.

Monday’s donation topped up their total.

However, the college still needs another $800,000 to reach that goal.

The whole project will cost $33 million. The bulk of that money is coming from the provincial government.