A group of people stand in front of fire trucks.Lakeland College was proud to welcome Todd Loewen, Alberta’s Minister of Forestry and Parks, to our Emergency Training Centre (ETC) on June 23.

“Showing Minister Loewen around the ETC was an amazing opportunity to showcase our applied learning and world-class first responder training facilities,” says Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president and CEO of Lakeland College. “We shared our direct involvement in responding to the 2023 Parkland County wildfire, the 2024 Jasper wildfire, and this year’s deployment to Sturgeon County’s Redwater wildfire—where our emergency services technology (EST) students worked alongside Alberta Wildfire and municipal partners in real-time response operations.”

The minister and his team toured Lakeland’s Vermilion campus facilities, observed live fire training, and connected directly with a recent EST graduate who gained applied wildfire deployment experience through the Parkland County wildfire deployment.

Two people look at a row of fire trucks.“Experiences like these shape careers and build Alberta’s emergency response capacity,” says Shawn McKerry, dean of the Emergency Training Centre. “Many of our recent graduate have gone on to serve with wildfire teams across Western Canada. Showing the minister our facilities allowed us to share our desire to continue as a valuable collaborator, strategic partner, and support mechanism for the Alberta government. As the province continues to advance its wildfire strategies, we believe Lakeland College is uniquely positioned to support that work, and we are eager to be part of those conversations.”

Beyond the ETC, the visit was also an opportunity to showcase the incredible work happening across Lakeland College.

“Lakeland’s impact stretches far beyond emergency training,” Wainwright-Stewart says. “It’s something that can truly only be appreciated when you see it in person, and we believe this visit helped Minister Loewen appreciate the full scope of what Lakeland College offers the province.”

A group of people tour Lakeland College's Vermilion campus.

Photos: Top - Todd Loewen, Alberta’s Minister of Forestry and Parks (centre) with Lakeland's Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president and CEO, and Shawn McKerry, dean of the Emergency Training Centre, along with staff. Middle - Shawn McKerry and Todd Loewen look at a fleet of fire trucks at the Emergency Training Centre. Bottom - Shawn McKerry guides the group around the Vermilion campus.