A new $2-million building could be coming to St. Clair College in Chatham with a little help from the municipality. 
Council has agreed to a request for $250,000 over two years to help build a National Powerline Training Centre at Thames Campus.
Mark Benoit, Chair of the School of Academic Studies says the centre will not only be a great learning environment, but will benefit Chatham-Kent in many ways.
“First economically because we’ll be building a $2-million facility, then the number of students that come into our community, each of them spending an additional $15,000 in housing, food, and lodging, brings $1.5 million plus into our community,” Benoit says. “And then the revenue and tuition is another million dollars. So we’re looking at an additional $2.5 million each year from this investment that the city will be able to leverage. And that will support local businesses in Chatham-Kent.”
The Training Centre may also help with the creation of new programs at the Thames Campus related to the powerline industry.
The College has also applied for a grant from the Strategic Investment Fund, which aims to invest in colleges and universities across Canada.