Local industry and First Nation provide resources to help Keyano College purchase drone equipment for the Environmental Studies (ENVT) program

Recently, the environmental studies program sought to integrate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) also known as drone equipment into their courses and presented the need for the technology to Keyano’s environmental science advisory committee. Thanks to the collective generosity of a local First Nation and industry, the program will be able to acquire the necessary equipment. Lead faculty member Dr. Marie-France Jones engaged in a conversation with the environmental science advisory committee. That led Ryan Abel, Senior Manager, Environmental and Regulatory Affairs, Fort MacKay First Nation to round up a group of local industry operators who also saw value in supporting Dr. Jones’ initiative to introduce drone technology into her courses. Mr. Abel acted as an advocate to solicit support from Syncrude, Suncor, and Imperial. All of the companies agreed to participate and offered funding to purchase the equipment.

Fred Russell, Vice President, Academic said, “We can’t thank these partner organizations enough for the support they consistently offer Keyano College. It is wonderful when these groups make something special happen for us. They consistently prove why they are the backbone of our community”.