Partners and community leaders gathered at the Lasalle Boulevard property to honour the ground before development begins later this year. From left: Mike Parent, Workplace Safety North President and CEO; Sue Roque, Wahnapitae First Nation Cultural Coordinator; Mayor Paul Lefebvre; Jeff Lang, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board President and CEO; Jamie Roque, Wahnapitae First Nation Councillor; and Shawn Rideout, Ontario Mine Rescue Chief Mine Rescue Officer.
Ceremony marks milestone in development of world-class training facility in Sudbury
Workplace Safety North (WSN) and Ontario Mine Rescue (OMR) gathered with partners, community leaders, and Indigenous representatives this week to honour the ground where the future Ontario Mine Rescue Training Academy will be built.
The ceremony marked the beginning of the next phase of the project, with site preparation and servicing work scheduled to begin later this year. A smudging ceremony, led by Sue Roque, Cultural Coordinator with Wahnapitae First Nation, recognized the significance of the land and the collaborative effort behind the project.
“The Ontario Mine Rescue Training Academy represents an important investment in the future of worker safety and emergency preparedness,” says Mike Parent, WSN President and CEO. “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 Ontario Mine Rescue Training Academy will be the first of its kind in Canada, providing world-class mine rescue and high-hazard emergency response training. The 124-acre facility will offer specialized training in confined space rescue, live fire exercises, tower and water rescue, and other complex emergency response scenarios. The facility will also serve as a key training destination for emergency preparedness and response training beyond the mining sector, supporting a range of emergency response needs across the province.
“This new facility will provide advanced, hands-on training right here in northern Ontario, ensuring mine rescue personnel have access to the specialized skills needed to respond effectively in emergency situations,” says Shawn Rideout, OMR Chief Mine Rescue Officer.
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.
“Today’s ground honouring marks the transition from vision to reality for a project that will strengthen worker safety and further establish Greater Sudbury as a global leader in mining innovation and safety,” says Paul Lefebvre, Mayor of Sudbury. “This world-class facility will create new opportunities for training, collaboration, and economic growth while attracting talent and expertise from across Canada and around the world. As construction is set to begin, we honour the enduring relationship between Indigenous peoples and this land, acknowledging its history, its caretakers, and our shared responsibility to steward it with respect, purpose, and commitment for generations to come.”
“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,” says 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.”
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Ontario investing in world class mine training facility in Sudbury - Workplace Safety North