Thank you for that question. I really appreciate it, because just a few weeks ago I was at Red River College. I was touring with the president, and I asked him what all these semi-trailers were doing parked in their yard. He told me they were not semi-trailers, they were in fact like RVs; they expanded and became classrooms. He said to me, “Jim, we take them up to northern communities in Manitoba, we situate them in the reserve or the town, we invite local people who are looking for a job in either mining or hydroelectric development”--which is your other big driver in the north--“and we train these people for six months. Then we take the classroom on to the next community, we train them there, and the students go on to do some apprenticeship work with various employers.”
I have to say that I found that really very creative. I was quite taken with the innovation being demonstrated by this particular college. I guess it's precisely in your riding. These are relatively new, I think. I don't know how many seasons they've been operating, but the trailers appeared to be new.
So this may be one response to the challenges you face in your riding.