School and Military Begin Joint Course

The Nova Scotia School of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the air command branch of the Canadian military launched their first classroom training partnership in Pictou today.

The class begins a $118,000 refrigeration training initiative, which was initiated by Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Keith Colwell and Capt. Norman Clancy, flight commander of 144 Airfield Engineering Flight, Pictou County, at a ceremony at the school. It is the first refrigeration course taught outside the Air Force in the Maritimes.

Mr. Colwell said it is great that the school's expertise, long recognized among fishermen, is appealing to other organizations. He said this is the first course in a five-year agreement signed with the military.

"It just goes to show that the skills and diversity of the school are of such high quality that they appeal to a group known for its stringent training requirements," Mr. Colwell said. "We're proud to be involved in such a good project."

A dozen reservists from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are taking the 21-week program, which started Jan. 4. Skills learned in the program will help them cope in disasters at home and around the world.

"I am pleased to be part of this new endeavour that partners the military with this fine academic establishment," said Capt. Clancy. "I am sure we will all be proud of the graduates of this course."

Mr. Colwell singled out the work of school instructor Gilles Gauthier who worked with the military for more than a year to develop a refrigeration course tailored to reservists.

Mr. Gauthier said all the material developed for this project can be applied to freezer-trawler refrigeration and other marine refrigeration systems. They will learn about developing and repairing systems.

"We will work hard to make this successful. We want to be able to do more business with the military in the future," Mr. Gauthier said.