In this economy you have to go with your strengths and if there is one thing Thompson, Manitoba, Canada has in spades it’s reliably frigid temperatures. The mining town about 600 miles north of Winnipeg (no slouch in the cold department, either) often sees temperatures colder than -40 for weeks at a time in a winter that lasts from November to March. It also has a modern airport that will handle most types of aircraft. The Canadian Environmental Test Research and Education Center is a joint project of the Manitoba government and the Canadian government, whose National Research Council will own and operate the facility. It will share the site with the Global Aerospace Center for Icing and Environmental Research (GLACIER), a joint venture of Pratt and Whitney Canada and Rolls-Royce Canada.
The facility will operate year-round and will specialize in supporting engine icing certification and research and development of new aircraft designs. High school and post secondary schools will be involved in the facility and the research programs are aimed at attracting the top professionals in the field.
