Vocational wing announced for South Winnipeg Rec Campus

The upcoming South Winnipeg Recreation Campus is starting to take shape.

On Tuesday, the province announced it’s chipping in $17 million for a new vocational wing at Pembina Trails Collegiate as part of the recreational complex project.

“The new technical vocational wing will provide modern facilities where students can gain valuable training and hands-on skill development,” Consumer Protection and Government Services Minister Lisa Naylor said.

The 19,000-square-foot facility will teach students in trade fields like cooking, welding, woodworking, and machinery.

The vocational wing is part of the campus’ first phase – which will include gyms, multi-purpose rooms, an indoor track, a childcare centre, and an outdoor spray pad.

Mayor Scott Gillingham said the campus will serve around 120,000 people.

“In one space, South Winnipeg is one of the fastest-growing parts of the city,” Gillingham said. “In fact, it’s one of the fastest growing parts in all the province of Manitoba and this investment will help to meet the needs of the neighbourhood.”

Pembina Trails Collegiate opened in Sept. 2023 in the Waverley West neighbourhood.

Construction on the vocational wing will start later this summer. The province said it will be completed by the start of the 2026 school year.