On August 23, Centennial College hosted an event at The Bombardier Centre for Aerospace and Aviation at Downsview Campus, where the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, and the Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR) consortium unveiled new initiatives to help small- and medium-sized enterprises in the Ontario aerospace sector develop green, sustainable products and operations. The ultimate goal is to make flying more environmentally sustainable across the globe.
Announced by the Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the $2.68-million investment will support two initiatives that will launch in fall 2022. The DAIR Supplier Development Initiative will enhance the Ontario aerospace ecosystem by helping companies implement better business practices to improve their maturity, capabilities and productivity, while the Green Fund will help the province’s aerospace industry collaborate on projects that will bring green, sustainable aviation technologies and solutions to market sooner. Together, the funding will assist up to 24 Ontario small and mid-sized enterprises.
As a renowned training centre for Transport Canada-certified aviation technicians for more than five decades, Centennial College has an outsized role in promoting the sector as a career path, encouraging talented youth and under-represented groups to engage, bringing new ideas and expanding diversity to stimulate the growth of the aerospace industry.
“It is a pivotal moment for Ontario’s aerospace sector – a sector that continues to display exceptional resilience, ingenuity and collaboration as it rebounds and rebuilds. Collaboration that is a fundamental ingredient of the Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research consortium – Toronto’s aerospace hub, of which Centennial is a proud founding member,” Dr. Craig Stephenson, Centennial’s President and CEO, told his audience.
“We are beyond thrilled to be part of a network of leading academics, companies, research organizations, and government stakeholders working collaboratively towards a shared goal: advancing Canada’s global aerospace industry leadership,” he said of DAIR, the not-for-profit consortium.
Centennial’s four-acre Downsview Campus is the new home of the College’s aerospace technology programs located on the historic site of de Havilland of Canada, an indelible part of Canada’s aviation history. The $72-million project repurposed the de Havilland building with selective demolition and new construction to create 12,700 square metres of instruction space, including classrooms, labs and workshops, along with two aircraft hangars. The campus opened in January 2019.