Feds give $1 million to Cambrian College for research projects

The federal government announced Monday it is giving $1 million over five years to Sudbury's Cambrian College R&D, the college's applied research and development program, to expand its capacity to work with non-profit organizations.

Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe along with Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré announced the long-term donation, which is funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) as part of College and Community Innovation (CCI) program.

“This investment … has tangible benefits for both students and non-profit and industry partners,” said Lapointe in a news release.

“This funding will help advance several aspects of their mandate, including the adoption of state-of-the-art technologies. This provides students with hands-on experience, while helping partners address challenges and help foster new opportunities.”

The first project to benefit from the new funding will be a partnership with the Northern Ontario Railway Museum and Heritage Centre in the Greater Sudbury community of Capreol.

The project will include research of historical documents and manuals to redesign and manufacture a portion of a 1942 Canadian Armed Forces truck as part of the vehicle's restoration.

Once restored, the truck will become a permanent exhibit at the museum.

“Their research efforts play a meaningful role in improving our understanding of the past, present and the future,” said Serré.

“Upon completion of this particular R&D project, families across the region will be able to learn about their findings at the Northern Ontario Railroad Museum and Heritage Centre in Capreol.”

“This is just one of many projects that Cambrian R&D will tackle over the next five years, thanks to this funding,” added the president of Cambrian College, Bill Best.