ST. ANDREWS, Man. — The Manitoba Safety Council has announced it has acquired the Vehicle Research and Training centre at St. Andrews Airport.

Together with Manitoba Public Insurance and the Province of Manitoba, the council will offer training in: winter driving; collision avoidance; skid control; and extreme weather driving.

"This facility will offer a new dimension to driver safety training through hands-on instruction in a controlled environment," says Mike Waite, executive director of the Manitoba Safety Council. "We look forward to exploring new facets in driver safety programs."

The facility includes 22 hectares of land at the airport offering the opportunity to develop an oval track for research and year-round testing.

"During track development, there will be a float plane runway added at St. Andrews airport, the only one in Canada," says Waite. "This will also be a unique training opportunity for the Operating Engineers Training Institute and Manitoba construction."

A start date of February, 2005 is anticipated by the Manitoba Safety Council a non-profit organization dedicated to improving safety within Manitoba. The acquisition of the Vehicle Research and Training Centre is the latest initiative by the council, which hopes to bring Manitoba to the forefront in road safety.