Canada’s only Indigenous Aviation program, hit by fire a year ago, is back on track for a new hangar later this year.
Fire engulfed the old World War II building at Tyendinaga Territory, destroying the hangar and 13 planes inside, five of them brand new.
Millions of dollars went up in flames.
These were planes that served students in the air program at First Nations Technical Institute.
President of First Nations Technical Institute, Suzanne Brant, tells Quinte News that right now some planes are outside and new planes are in temporary hangars.
Brant says the idea is to have a new hangar in place by Christmas.
“So the students know they have a place to actually, you know, see the planes. Touch the planes. Get in the planes, you know and have a home. Right now they are going to the temporary structure. They’re outside and it’s a little more challenging for them.”
Brant adds, “As an institute we’ve grown so rapidly over the last five years. We have more than 450 students now. They need to have space and place. Things that they can be proud of.”
There had been insurance and Brant says the new building will cost about $22 million.
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