A new facility to expand local education and training programs aligned to aerospace industry needs is coming to Kelowna, to the tune of $22 million.
On Wednesday, Nov. 19, The BPL Legacy Association (the owners of the KF Centre for Excellence) announced a joint initiative with Okanagan College (OC) that will see a new $22 million facility constructed beside the Centre for Excellence at 5800 Lapointe Drive.
“Aviation has always been my passion,” said BPL Legacy Association founder and chair Barry Lapointe. “My goal has always been to inspire and prepare the next generation of aerospace professionals right here in the Okanagan.”
OC and The BPL Legacy Association signed a letter of intent outlining next steps earlier this fall. Under the letter of agreement, the BPL Legacy Association is funding $17 million of the project, while OC will work with government and community partners to pay for the remaining $5 million. Once built, OC will occupy space in the facility through a long-term lease.
The 42,000 square foot facility will include workshops, classrooms, and a hangar space to accommodate all three (current and future) Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) programs. The facility will be located next to the KF Centre for Excellence. Construction on the building is expected to start in spring 2026 and be completed for students by 2027.
Currently, OC offers its AME programs onsite at both the Kelowna and Vernon airports, in both maintenance (mechanical systems, engines, airframes, propellers) and structures (sheet metal, composite, structural repairs).
Once the new facility is completed, it will allow OC to expand its AME programs from its current capacity of 30 students to 140 by 2028. All students from the current program were in attendance for Wednesday’s announcement.
“We’re growing from a very small community to where we are now and I think it just adds to the education of what we need here for students to learn and develop,” said Lapointe.
This is the second time The BPL Legacy Association has committed to building an aviation structure like this, with the first opening five years ago in Hamilton, Ont. Lapointe said he saw the same demand for the industry in Kelowna as he did in Hamilton.
“The Okanagan has been very good to me and I certainly love giving back to the Okanagan,” said Lapointe, who’s been an Okanagan resident for 55 years.