Caleb Nickerson
CAMPBELL’S BAY Oct. 6, 2017
On Friday afternoon, it was announced that the provincial government will be more than tripling the funding for a local training facility.
The Pontiac campus of Heritage College, located in Campbell’s Bay, will be receiving an additional $68,100 in funding on top of the $22,000 already allocated annually, for a grand total of $90,100 for the 2017/18 school year. The site will also be given the official designation as a Collegiate Study Centre, starting this year.

The provincial Minister of Higher Education, Hélène David and Pontiac MNA André Fortin were present to make the announcement, joined by students, educators and administrators from the college.
Michael Randall, director general of Heritage College, was extremely pleased with the bump in funds and thanked the attendees for presence.
“I’ve got to say, I’m pinching myself because I can’t believe that we have the Minister of Education here in our Pontiac campus in Campbell’s Bay,” he said. “The financial support that we’re about to receive will allow us to do a lot more, to offer more programming and improve our facilities.”
He went on to explain that over the 23 years since it opened, the satellite campus has undergone many changes, starting out in the local Odd Fellows lodge and moving around several times before settling into their current location along Hwy. 148 in 2010.
Fortin commended Randall for his unwavering commitment to bringing higher education to underserviced regions like the Pontiac.
“From the first day that I met you at the main campus of Heritage College … there was never a single conversation we had where you did not bring up the Campbell’s Bay campus,” he said. “I know it’s very near and dear to your heart that this institution succeeds in this community.”
Minister David emphasized the importance of accessibility to post-secondary education across the province.
Greg Graham, director and educator at the Pontiac campus, explained that the college currently has 22 students enrolled, studying agriculture and early childhood education as well as part-time courses for French as a second language, computer literacy, CPR and more.
He said that the funding boost would help them offer their programs to a wider audience and improve their current facilities.
“It gives us security, so we can stay here for another 23 years at least,” he said. “We’ve looked into being able to offer more courses online so that people at the main campus can participate and vice-versa, so students up here can participate down there.”
He added that the unique courses at the campus are tailored to help adult learners find work in their local community.
“This campus and this school, it’s been amazing the effect that we’ve had over the years,” he said. “Students have graduated and gone on to do amazing things. You can’t go into a business in the Pontiac, or go to very many farms where you don’t see a graduate.”