NORCAT’s underground mining training and innovation centre in Sudbury is receiving more than $1 million in provincial funding for an expansion.
A Northern Ontario Heritage Fund news release said $1,080,000 will go toward building a new facility with a service shop, training rooms and to purchase new equipment and tools that will expand the centre.
NORCAT CEO Don Duval said in the release that the funding is earmarked for a new 6,000-square-foot building to expand capacity and better serve global technology companies that frequent the facility.
"Featuring 3,500 square feet of state-of-the-art shop space, along with modern offices and meeting rooms, this expanded capacity underscores our commitment to accelerating the development, adoption and broader diffusion of emerging technologies that will shape the future of mining.”
The NORCAT Underground Mine is located in Onaping on the outskirts of Sudbury. It is the adit of the former Fecunis mine. NORCAT (Northern Centre for Advanced Technology) uses the facility to provide training programs and as an underground proving ground for mining-related service to test out new technologies.
In a statement, George Pirie, the newly appointed northern economic development and growth minister, framed the investment as part of the province’s support to make the mining industry more competitive and innovative.
“Through targeted investments, our government is building a more resilient, prosperous, and self-reliant economy that will create jobs and help build communities and businesses across the province.”
