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GE Plant taking shape in Welland
GE plant taking shape

General Electric's new factory is beginning to take shape in Welland.

The steel frame of the 45,000-square-metre facility is rising above 30 hectares of property along Highway 140, between Silverthorn Street and Buchner Road.

Welland economic development officer Dan Degazio said contractor  PCL Construction has had "great weather" since ground was broken on the US$165-million project in late August, keeping construction on schedule.

Niagara College turns 50
niagara college 50
Shown is an early classroom scene at Niagara College_s Welland campus on Woodlawn Road in 1967 (note the ash can). The school this year is celebrating 50 years of growth and successes.
(Supplied photo)

In 1967, with one employee and two empty rooms, Niagara College opened its doors in Welland.

The college, now home to more than 10,000 students at multiple campuses, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

When it opened in September 1967, 450 students began their education in programs that included for business and secretarial roles.

Before the campus was built on Woodlawn Road, staff worked out of a two-room office on King Street in Welland. Mary Hornak was hired as the first employee of the college working as secretary to the college president, George Bowen. She remained the only staff member for the first few weeks.

Hornak, with a laugh, recalls the rooms were small and she was tasked with filling them with office supplies.
"I just can't get over that it started with two small rooms and it's grown so big ," she says.

Welland's Annual Report packed with
good news
Mayor - annual report
Welland Mayor Frank Campion

In 2016 Welland issued building permits for about $81 million in development.

Gary Long, the city's  CAO , says he saw a great deal of growth in Welland last year, that is reflected in the municipality's annual report. The growth isn't limited to an increase in population, but also in industry and development. Last year the city issued about 620 building permits. The construction value of those developments is about $81 million. In the five years previous to 2016, the city issued about 575 building permits.

A number of city-owned lands were sold in 2016, including more than five acres on Prince Charles Drive for residential development of 70 townhouses.

Long says staff anticipate 2017 will be a solid year, especially due to the addition of the General Electric plant on Silverthorn Street in Welland.

GE is scheduled to open in 2018 and will employ about 220 people.

Groundbreaking for French school 
set for spring
French school groundbreaking
Confederation located on Tanguay Street in Welland. Wednesday February 22, 2017 in Welland, Ont. Photo: Michelle Allenberg_Welland Tribune, Postmedia Network

Plans for a new $12.8 million facility to house students from both Confederation Secondary school and Champlain elementary school are slowly moving forward.
In 2015 the Conseil scolaire Viamonde was awarded almost $11 million from the Ministry of Education to construct a new school.

Jean-Francois L'Heureux, chair of Conseil scolaire Viamonde, said the board actually received $12.8 million when including funding received for early childhood and day care support.

City of Welland received Brownie Award for Atlas landfill partnership
Brownie award

In February, Dan Degazio, Director of Economic Development with the Corporation of the City of Welland accepted a duplicate copy of Walker Environmental's Brownie Award. Mike Watt, Executive Vice-President of Walker Environmental met with Degazio to present the award and extend their gratitude to the City of Welland for being great partners in the Atlas Landfill Remediation Project.

Walker Environmental received the original award in December, when the Atlas Landfill Remediation project was selected by the Brownfield Network as the winner in their reinvest category. Walker Environmental was thrilled to accept the award but felt their success would not have been possible without their great partnership with the City of Welland.

 
Contact:
Dan Degazio, Director of Economic Development
Corporation of the City of Welland
Telephone:
905-735-1700 ext 2110 or 1-800-735-3771 
Fax: 905-735-1543 
dan.degazio@welland.ca 
www.madeinwelland.ca
About Us:
City of Welland
Economic Development Office
60 East Main St.
Welland, Ontario
L3B 3X4
905-735-3771
www.madeinwelland.ca
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