(L-R) Mayor Taso Christopher, City of Belleville; Warden Rick Phillips, Hastings County; June Hagerman, Loyalist College Board of Governors Chair; Mayor Jim Harrison, City of Quinte West; Loyalist College President & CEO Maureen Piercy; and Prince Edward County Councillor Gordon Fox at naming of Bay of Quinte Skills Centre August 26, 2016. (Photo: Loyalist College)
The Board of Governors of Loyalist College announced the naming of The Bay of Quinte Skills Centre Friday.
The naming comes in recognition of the $1.5 million invested by Belleville, Quinte West and the counties of Quinte West and Prince Edward. The centre was built with a $16.6 million investment and officially opened in 2011.
College President Maureen Piercy who retires next week says one of the many memories she has of the college is the support the community has provided over the years, in building programs and helping with events, in particular in providing support to the College through the $6 million campaign for Loyalist.
She told Quinte News she feels the skills centre will be one of her legacies to the College.
“The City of Belleville is a proud partner in the newly named ‘Bay of Quinte Skills Centre.’ Thank you to all of the regional partners for making this Skills Centre possible. As a region, we are putting Loyalist College on the map in providing top notch education in skilled trades and technology,” said Belleville Mayor Taso Christopher.
“The Bay of Quinte Skills Centre is an important asset supporting the education and training for youth in our community, as well as developing the latest skills for workers in the area’s businesses. We are very pleased to have this fantastic facility located in this great region,” expressed Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison.
“Hastings County is proud to have supported Loyalist College in the development of the Bay of Quinte Skills Centre in support of higher learning across the Hastings-Quinte region. The members of Hastings County Council recognize the value that a superior education and training contribute in the development of a skilled workforce and we are pleased to continue our strong partnership,” offered Hastings County Warden Rick Phillips.
“Loyalist College is such an important resource to our community and we want to be able to give it all the support that we can. The County is looking forward to seeing graduates from this freshly-renamed Skills Centre and the amazing things that they’ll do for our community,” said Prince Edward County Mayor Robert Quaiff.
The centre features 50,950 square feet of re-purposed ‘green’ space, and an additional 70,850 square feet of new, flexible space for teaching, laboratories, shops, research labs and classrooms. LEED® Silver certification was awarded in 2014.
