Manitoba government invests in aerospace industry to improve projects, help future workforce

A new investment in aerospace from the Manitoba government will bolster state-of-the-art projects and also help students who are getting into the field.

The province announced Thursday it is investing $17 million into Magellan Aerospace.

The investment will help create 64 jobs, support 150 students yearly at Red River College, help projects like a new machining centre, and create a new test site for space product development.

"Hearing about the defence applications, aerospace applications, the space initiatives that you're all a part of, this is an amazing advanced manufacturing investment for our province," said Premier Wab Kinew at a news conference Thursday.

"It helps put Manitoba on the map across Canada, but also globally. When you talk about the F-35 consortium, I mean, you're talking about the best of the best. And to know that folks can come out of a high school here in Winnipeg or a college program at Red River or the U of M and stay here in the province and be part of a world-class manufacturing organization, that's a huge success story."

The $17 million will be divided up into two portions, an $8 million grant and a $9 million loan that will be repaid over 12 years.

"This is the sort of thing that I think Manitobans should be excited about. It's a win, win, win, and when we can say that Manitoba is (taking) strong steps to support our economy here at home, given everything else that's happening out there in the world at the federal level, with our partners to the south, it's really, really important that we have these green lights for the future of our economy."

Fred Meier, the president of RRC Polytech, said this investment will not only benefit the aerospace industry but will help support the success of students for years to come.

"This investment in advanced manufacturing technology, combined with providing students with training opportunities to operate and innovate with this equipment, exemplifies productivity advancement by aligning education and industry needs," said Meier. "Equipping students with those critical skills to utilize and optimize these technologies creates a workforce ready to meet evolving industry demands, one that fosters innovation and drives competitiveness."

Ron Drepaul, the general manager of Magellan Aerospace, said this partnership with the government and RRC will help more Manitoba students become employed at Magellan.

"We deeply value the collaboration and support we've received from the province as well as our longstanding partnership with Red River College Polytech. This investment not only secures the jobs of our highly skilled technicians but also positions us for growth and improves productivity, enabling us to hire additional staff, deliver cutting-edge products and services, and foster the development of our future workforce," said Drepaul.

Magellan has two manufacturing facilities in Manitoba – Winnipeg and Stony Mountain – and has been operating for 95 years.