Northern College's Moosonee Campus has Major Impact on the Region

**NORTHERN COLLEGE NEWS RELEASE**

Nestled on the Moose River, just nineteen miles south of James Bay, The Town of Moosonee is home to Northern College’s northernmost Campus. As college campuses go, the Moosonee campus is small in size but has a profound impact. In meeting the post-secondary training and education needs of area residents, the campus serves residents from Moosonee, Moose Factory Island and the First Nation communities along the Western Coast of James Bay and Hudson Bay.

A recent economic impact study completed by United States based Emsi, an economic modelling company concluded that the Moosonee Campus’ contribution to the gross regional product (GRP) supported 91 jobs throughout the region, 36 of which are full-time equivalent employees at either the Moosonee Campus, or at one of its four Learning Centres in Attawapiskat, Kashechewan, Fort Albany or Moose Factory.

Results being released today, reveal that Northern College’s Moosonee Campus had an economic impact of $6.5 million in the 2016-2017 reference year throughout the region.

Yet, despite serving a decidedly small market, the economic impact was substantial and can be attributed to the college campus’s excellent post-secondary programs and to the significant activity it engages in with industry, providing customized training programs to the region.

“The campus principally serves a local student market, many of whom are first generation Learners – the first member of their family to attend a college or university,” stated Diane Ryder, Campus Manager of the Moosonee Campus. “Indigenous people are the fastest growing population in Canada, so the Moosonee Campus will become increasingly strategic to serving the training and education needs of adult learners,”

Providing educational options to potential learners in remote communities plays an integral role in Northern College’s mandate.

“Our Moosonee Campus plays a vital role along the James Bay Coast in providing access to training and education ranging from literacy and basic skills development through to post-secondary programs,” commented Dr. Fred Gibbons, President and CEO. “Working in partnership with the leadership in the region’s communities is what has made the campus such an important asset to the region.”

Using a two-pronged approach that involves an economic impact analysis and an investment analysis, United States based Emsi calculated the benefits received by each of these groups during the reference year 2016-2017, the year for which complete financial data was available. The study was conducted in the first quarter of 2018.