Courtesy of Northern College

In 2018, Northern College opened the 40,000-square-foot Integrated Emergency Services Complex, which houses pre-service firefighter, paramedic and police foundations programs. The facility features a mock courtroom, a mock apartment, a fingerprint room, a jail cell, scenario labs, a fire tower, a fitness training lab and a study lounge where students can meet with industry professionals. There’s also an advanced disaster management simulator, which replicates a centralized command centre and can simulate real-time incidents with variables such as bad weather and sudden building collapse. It is the first of its kind in Canada.

Students and faculty at Northern conduct applied research in areas such as mining, firefighting and communications, technology, welding and social work. In 2020, the college opened its Innovation Hub, an experiential learning space where students create and test prototypes.

Northern has four campuses in Timmins, Haileybury, Kirkland Lake and Moosonee. The college offers diploma, certificate, apprenticeship, academic upgrading and continuing education programs, as well as a collaborative nursing degree. Residences are available at the Timmins and Haileybury campuses; the former has single rooms with private bathrooms, while the latter has apartment-style two-bedroom units. Indigenous students have access to Elder guidance at all four campuses.