Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 20/01) - Meals are being prepared at the camp located on the site of the upcoming floorhand drilling training program.

Much of the work in setting up the 60-person camp was done last week, with Mullen Transport, Arctic Tire and Northwind Industries lending equipment.

The drilling training program is being put on by Aurora College. Rick Clarke, industrial oil and gas training co-ordinator for the college, said camp construction went smoothly, and that the lights were turned on Sunday evening.

The camp is being donated by AEC Inc. and Akita Equtak.

Other companies are helping bring the camp about. McDonald Brothers wired the buildings and Weitzel Construction did the plumbing and sewage.

New North Networks Ltd. is installing telephone and satellite television systems. Clarke said every bedroom will have a television and VCR.

Bob's Welding has the contract for hauling water and sewage for the camp, and Lakes and Rivers is supplying dust suppression and other equipment.

Clarke said Northwind Industries will help with the next stage at the site -- building the pad for the drilling rig, which will be put in place so that a 400-metre cased hole can be dug for training purposes.

Clarke said the rig is expected to arrive between July 20 and 24.

People are already staying at the camp, however. Starting this past Monday, 16 class 1 and class 3 truck drivers are enrolled in a 30-day truck training course.

The training is being conducted by two Yellowknife instructors with Arctic Defensive Driving, and is being held in conjunction with the drill training.

"The camp is up and running, the first meal was breakfast Monday morning," Clarke said. "It's all going really well."