Ontario investing in $25M state-of-the-art crane training facility in Oro-Medonte
Ontario Premier Doug Ford stopped in Simcoe County on Tuesday morning to announce a $5 million injection to help address the workforce gap in skilled trades.
Ford visited a construction site along Highway 11 in Oro-Medonte that will be the future site of a $25 million state-of-the-art training facility for more than 1,600 jobseekers.
“This new facility is going to be incredible. I can’t wait to come back when it’s finished,” Ford said.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The investment is being made through the the second round of the province’s Skills Development Fund (SDF) Capital Stream.
The new facility will include simulation labs, workshops, classrooms, and an outdoor training area for tower cranes to train apprentices in mobile and tower crane operation, along with heavy equipment.
Ford was joined by David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
“With one in three tradespeople retiring over the coming years, we must pass on the skills and expertise from the Golden Generation of Skilled Tradespeople to the next generation of workers,” the minister stated.
Mike Gallagher with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) took to the podium to emphasis the need for specialized training.
“In our trade, there is zero room for error. Lives depend on the work that we do, including our own lives,” said Gallagher. “So right here on this site, we’re going to be training the very best of the best operators to ensure that the sites, whether that be carpenters, labourers, pipefitters, whoever it is that our members are working with can feel safe and are going to be able to return home at the end of the day.”
“We like to say when you have a job in the skilled trades, you have a job for life," Ford added.
There was no timeline provided for when construction would begin or an anticipated completion date.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE UPDATES
LIVE UPDATES Police found fake IDs, 'ghost gun' and silencer on Luigi Mangione
Luigi Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Penn., after he was spotted at a McDonald’s, authorities say. The suspect was born and raised in Maryland and graduated from Ivy League University of Pennsylvania.
BREAKING
BREAKING Union reportedly drops wage demands in Canada Post negotiations
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has reportedly dropped its wage demand to 19 per cent over four years, CTV News has learned.
Liberal government survives third Conservative non-confidence vote
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's latest attempt to topple the minority Liberal government in a non-confidence vote failed on Monday, thanks to the New Democrats.
Trudeau says dealing with Trump will be 'a little more challenging' than last time
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said dealing with incoming president Donald Trump and his thundering on trade will be 'a little more challenging' than the last time.
Montreal man retiring early after winning half of the $80 million Lotto-Max jackpot
Factor worker Jean Lamontagne, 63, will retire earlier than planned after he won $40 million on Dec. 3 in the Lotto-Max draw.
Rupert Murdoch fails in bid to change family trust, New York Times reports
A Nevada commissioner has ruled against Rupert Murdoch's bid to change his family trust to consolidate control of his media empire in the hands of his son Lachlan, the New York Times reported on Monday.
Katie Holmes refutes story about daughter Suri Cruise’s fortune
Katie Holmes has posted a screen grab of a Daily Mail article, which reported that her 18-year old daughter, whose father is Tom Cruise, is now a "millionaire."
Family spokesman says slain Edmonton security guard had only been working 3 days
A spokesman for the family of a security guard who police say was murdered while patrolling an Edmonton apartment building last week says the man had only been on the job for three days.
Sask. hockey player recovering after near fatal skate accident during game
The Sask East Hockey League (SEHL) has released details of a near fatal accident at one of its games over the weekend – which saw a Churchbridge Imperials player suffer serious injuries after being struck with a skate.
Kitchener
-
Salvation Army says mail-in donations down almost 40 per cent in Kitchener-Waterloo
The Salvation Army has seen a big drop in donations this holiday season.
-
Transport truck collision closes part of Highway 401 near Homer Watson
One lane of Highway 401, through Kitchener, was closed Monday after a transport truck driver took evasive action to avoid a crash.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING Union reportedly drops wage demands in Canada Post negotiations
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has reportedly dropped its wage demand to 19 per cent over four years, CTV News has learned.
London
-
Train hits vehicle in Thames Centre: OPP
The Middlesex OPP have confirmed a train collided with a vehicle in Thames Centre.
-
Craigwood Youth Services to cease operations after more than 70 years
The interim executive director issued a statement saying the organization faces significant funding challenges and a shifting landscape for delivering their services.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING Union reportedly drops wage demands in Canada Post negotiations
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has reportedly dropped its wage demand to 19 per cent over four years, CTV News has learned.
Windsor
-
Woman dies after vehicle crashes into south Windsor home
Windsor police say a 73-year-old woman has died after a vehicle hit a house in south Windsor.
-
Windsor’s high unemployment rate doesn’t paint the whole picture: Experts
New Statistic Canada number show there were over 18,000 people still unemployed in our area and looking for work in November.
-
Windsor’s Syrian community celebrates Assad’s departure, hopes to return home
The streets of downtown Windsor echoed with honking horns over the weekend as members of the city’s Syrian community celebrated major political developments in their homeland.
Northern Ontario
-
Sudbury, Ont., family traumatized after hospital said loved one had been released, when in fact they had passed away
Sudbury resident Angela Vitiello says a staff member at Health Sciences North told her that her brother, Allan St. Martin, was released from the hospital late last month when, in fact, he had passed away.
-
Murder suspect from TO loses bid to have trial moved out of 'vermin' infested Sudbury jail
A man charged with a 2022 murder on Manitoulin Island will be tried in Sudbury, after a judge rejected arguments from the defence that Toronto or North Bay would be more convenient for his client.
-
ATV driver in northern Ont. who fled spot check got stuck in a swamp
A getaway went wrong for an ATV driver in Spanish, Ont., recently when they were caught by police on foot
Sault Ste. Marie
-
Coroner's inquest into Sault inmate's suicide death
A coroner's inquest into the 2021 suicide of a Sault Ste. Marie inmate began Monday morning and is expected to last five days.
-
Sault Ste. Marie man gets timed served for punching Dollarama employee
A Sault Ste. Marie man was sentenced to jail time for punching a Dollarama employee who confronted him about shoplifting this summer but was released Friday with time served.
-
ATV driver in northern Ont. who fled spot check got stuck in a swamp
A getaway went wrong for an ATV driver in Spanish, Ont., recently when they were caught by police on foot
Ottawa
-
FREEZING DRIZZLE ADVISORYFREEZING DRIZZLE ADVISORY Up to 5 cm of snow, freezing drizzle expected in Ottawa
Another blast of winter weather moved into Ottawa Monday afternoon, with snow and the risk of freezing drizzle expected tonight and on Tuesday. A special weather statement is in effect for Ottawa and eastern Ontario for tonight through Tuesday morning, warning freezing rain and freezing drizzle could cause ice build-up on some surfaces.
-
Treasury Board president accuses PSAC of sharing 'misleading information' on $1.9 billion public service pension surplus
The President of the Treasury Board is accusing a federal public service union of providing "misleading information" to its members, after the Public Service Pension Fund posted a non-permitted surplus of $1.9 billion.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING Union reportedly drops wage demands in Canada Post negotiations
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has reportedly dropped its wage demand to 19 per cent over four years, CTV News has learned.
Toronto
-
A 'traffic crisis': Economic, social impact of congestion cost Ontario more than $50B in 2024, study finds
The cost of lost economic opportunities in the GTHA due to congestion totaled more than $10 billion in 2024 and that number rose to more than $47 billion when factoring in the “social impacts” that diminish a commuter’s quality of life, according to a new report.
-
Toronto police identify victim, suspect in deadly shooting south of Danforth
The victim of a deadly shooting south of Toronto’s Danforth neighbourhood has been identified and police have charged a suspect with murder.
-
LIVE UPDATES
LIVE UPDATES Police found fake IDs, 'ghost gun' and silencer on Luigi Mangione
Luigi Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Penn., after he was spotted at a McDonald’s, authorities say. The suspect was born and raised in Maryland and graduated from Ivy League University of Pennsylvania.
Montreal
-
'Looking for the Weinstein of Quebec': impresario Gilbert Rozon's civil trial begins
Just for Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon's civil trial for sexual assault opened Monday at the Montreal courthouse with his lawyer portraying him as the scapegoat in a hunt to find Quebec's Harvey Weinstein.
-
Search for Quebec hiker missing in Adirondacks now likely a recovery mission
Authorities in New York state say the search for a 22-year-old Quebec hiker who went missing in the Adirondacks more than a week ago is now likely a recovery mission.
-
Police search for three men who escaped from immigration holding centre in Quebec
Authorities are searching for three Chilean nationals who escaped from the Laval Immigration Holding Centre north of Montreal.
Atlantic
-
Eastern Canada storm to impact Maritimes with high winds Thursday
An area of low pressure is forecast to develop into a strong storm as it moves from the northeastern U.S. into the St. Lawrence River Valley late Wednesday into Thursday.
-
New report states cancer comes at a high physical and financial cost to Canadians
A new report from the Canadian Cancer Society states, on average, a Canadian with cancer pays $33,000 out of their own pocket.
-
Nova Scotia opens first transitional health centre in Bedford
Nova Scotia’s first stand-alone, transitional health centre will open its doors this week in Bedford, N.S.
Winnipeg
-
The snow is here: How much snow fell in Winnipeg and parts of Manitoba?
A low pressure system brought snow, freezing rain and freezing drizzle to much of southern Manitoba starting Sunday.
-
11 train cars derail, closing Manitoba road for hours
A train derailment near Portage la Prairie had traffic closed for several hours and almost a dozen railcars completely off the tracks.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING Union reportedly drops wage demands in Canada Post negotiations
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has reportedly dropped its wage demand to 19 per cent over four years, CTV News has learned.
Calgary
-
BREAKINGBREAKING Parents charged in toddler son's death plead guilty to manslaughter
The parents accused in the death of their 18-month-old son pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges in a Calgary courtroom Monday.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING Union reportedly drops wage demands in Canada Post negotiations
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has reportedly dropped its wage demand to 19 per cent over four years, CTV News has learned.
-
Alberta cancels foreign worker recruitment trip to United Arab Emirates
The Alberta government says it has pulled the plug on a foreign worker recruitment mission in the United Arab Emirates scheduled for early next year.
Edmonton
-
Family spokesman says slain Edmonton security guard had only been working 3 days
A spokesman for the family of a security guard who police say was murdered while patrolling an Edmonton apartment building last week says the man had only been on the job for three days.
-
Investigators deem fire at Tofield police detachment as arson: RCMP
A fire that occurred at the Tofield, Alta., RCMP detachment on Dec. 2 has been declared an arson by investigators.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING Union reportedly drops wage demands in Canada Post negotiations
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has reportedly dropped its wage demand to 19 per cent over four years, CTV News has learned.
Regina
-
Sask. Court of Appeal denies White City's request to annex 4,000 acres from RM of Edenwold
A land dispute that's been taking place just east of Regina for the past six years has been put to rest, according to the Rural Municipality (RM) of Edenwold.
-
Regina homicide suspect makes national most wanted list
A man wanted in connection to a fatal shooting in Regina earlier this year is now among Canada's top 25 most wanted.
-
Sask. hockey player recovering after near fatal skate accident during game
The Sask East Hockey League (SEHL) has released details of a near fatal accident at one of its games over the weekend – which saw a Churchbridge Imperials player suffer serious injuries after being struck with a skate.
Saskatoon
-
Emergency crews searching the South Saskatchewan River for body of missing man
Saskatoon police and firefighters have begun searching the South Saskatchewan River for the body of a 48-year-old man who went missing late last month.
-
Sask. RCMP lay murder charge in fatal February shooting
The Saskatchewan RCMP have charged a man with first-degree murder for a fatal February shooting in North Battleford.
-
Sask. hockey player recovering after near fatal skate accident during game
The Sask East Hockey League (SEHL) has released details of a near fatal accident at one of its games over the weekend – which saw a Churchbridge Imperials player suffer serious injuries after being struck with a skate.
Vancouver
-
'Bombshell': Small Business BC abruptly declares bankruptcy
A decades-old non-profit with a mandate of supporting B.C.'s small businesses abruptly declared bankruptcy – resulting in dozens of employees losing their jobs weeks before Christmas.
-
B.C. selects 9 wind power projects to boost energy supply by 8 per cent a year
British Columbia has given the green light to nine wind energy projects that will boost the province's hydro-electric grid by eight per cent a year, enough to power 500,000 homes.
-
Inmate dies at B.C. minimum-security prison
A 33-year-old man has died while in custody at a federal minimum-security prison in British Columbia.
Vancouver Island
-
B.C. selects 9 wind power projects to boost energy supply by 8 per cent a year
British Columbia has given the green light to nine wind energy projects that will boost the province's hydro-electric grid by eight per cent a year, enough to power 500,000 homes.
-
'Bombshell': Small Business BC abruptly declares bankruptcy
A decades-old non-profit with a mandate of supporting B.C.'s small businesses abruptly declared bankruptcy – resulting in dozens of employees losing their jobs weeks before Christmas.
-
Feds send $148M to B.C. in disaster recovery funds for floods, wildfires
The federal government is paying out more than $148 million in disaster recovery funding to British Columbia in response to recent flooding and record-breaking wildfire seasons.
