Selkirk College and the environment benefit from Heritage Credit Union Fund

Heritage Credit Union CEO Lorne Myhra, Selkirk College President and CEO Angus Graeme, and Community Environment Fund Chair Bruce Gerrand. — Colin Payne photo.

Selkirk College renewable energy students are going to benefit from an enriched learning environment thanks to support provided by the Heritage Credit Union.

On Thursday, October 04, 2012, Heritage Credit Union CEO Lorne Myhra, and Community Environment Fund chair Bruce Gerrand, presented a cheque for $15,000 to Selkirk College president, Angus Graeme.

“Heritage Credit Union doesn’t just do business in the communities where it has branches, it is committed to those communities; one way this commitment can be seen is through our Community Environment Fund,” said Lorne Myhra. “Each year we support initiatives which contribute to making the community a better place to live. This project at Selkirk aligns very well with the purposes of the fund.”

The gift will be used for the purchase of two solar photovoltaic systems including panels, inverters and regulators. These systems differ from the more traditional solar thermal systems in that they convert sunlight directly into energy whereas the latter converts it into heat.

The college could use the systems to generate energy for its own purposes but instead will use it as a laboratory where renewable energy students will have the opportunity to study and install the systems.

“Having these systems available as learning opportunities for our students is invaluable. Reading a textbook, watching a video, listening to me lecture, are fine but having the chance to actually put the system together piece by piece and see it work in a laboratory environment can’t be beat,” said Rob Macrae, a Renewable Energy instructor in Selkirk’s School of Environment and Geomatics.

Angus Graeme accepted the cheque on behalf of the college. “Selkirk College is so grateful for the enduring relationships we have with our many community partners. Today Heritage Credit Union has stepped forward to support the college in the very important work of giving our students the best opportunities to learn an important and emerging technology. Community partners play a critical role in making Selkirk College successful. We certainly appreciate this gift from Heritage Credit Union.”

For more information on the Renewable Energy program visit selkirk.ca