SUDBURY, ONT. — Workplace Safety North (WSN) and Ontario Mine Rescue (OMR) gathered with partners, community leaders and Indigenous representatives recently to honour the ground where the future Ontario Mine Rescue Training Academy will be built.
Site preparation and servicing work are scheduled to begin later this year for the 124-acre facility, which will offer specialized training in confined space rescue, live fire exercises, tower and water rescue and other complex emergency response scenarios.
According to a release, the facility will also serve as a training destination for emergency preparedness and response training beyond the mining sector, supporting a range of emergency response needs across the province.
“The Ontario Mine Rescue Training Academy represents an important investment in the future of worker safety and emergency preparedness,” said Mike Parent, WSN president and CEO, in a statement. “As we prepare this site for development, it is important that we also take time to recognize the land, the communities connected to it, and the long-term impact this facility will have in strengthening emergency response training in Ontario.”
Expected to open in 2029, the academy will be the first of its kind in Canada.
The facility is being supported through a $125-million investment from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), along with the City of Greater Sudbury’s contribution of land for the future facility.
“Honouring this ground means respecting the history of this place, being thoughtful stewards of the land, and ensuring that what we build here serves all our communities and future generations,” added Jeff Lang, WSIB president and CEO. “The Ontario Mine Rescue Training Academy will help us do that through access to continuous training environments that help people stay safe at work, while serving as in investment in our economy, the Sudbury community, and in the mining industry.”
