For the North Peace Commercial Driving Academy team, the most frequently-asked question is currently: When will you begin accepting students?

Well, we still don't have a firm answer, but we are getting closer.

With the necessary inspections and approvals of our yard and equipment complete, and the instructor training process well underway, we can cautiously state that the first intake of students in the North Peace Commercial Driving Academy will be sometime this summer or early Fall of this year! Sign up for our newsletter by scrolling to the bottom of this page to stay up-to-date on all PRSD news, including announcements on Grand Openings and registration dates.

Our tentative opening date is approximately 18 months after we announced we were embarking on this journey. When we started, we were told it would take about two years to get the collegiate driving academy off the ground, and we are proud to say we have done everything at lightening speed. While we have certainly encountered red tape along the way, positive relationships with local municipalities, industry and provincial government have helped break those barriers.

About the North Peace Commercial Driving Academy

At the North Peace Commercial Driving Academy, we understand how important the trucking industry is to our local economy. Our lives in the north rely heavily on the transportation of goods, and to us, there is no such thing as "just a truck driver." These exceptionally skilled individuals are our lifeline to essential products and services. By offering this program, it is our goal that we will open direct pathways to employment, and help fulfill the need for skilled drivers in our local area.

The PRSD believes that students who complete the Class 1 Melt program with the North Peace Commercial Driving Academy will be equipped with the confidence, skillsets and knowledge needed to work efficiently in many different industries. Now, with approval from Alberta Education, PRSD is eager to continue the next phases of planning and preparing the Class 1 Melt program to launch in 2024.

We currently offer Class 2S training through the Peace River School Division

Conversations with Industry

In addition to holding an initial concept-building meeting with local industry leaders, the Peace River School Division continues to consult with, and discuss the needs of, local businesses as we prepare to launch the North Peace Commercial Driving Academy. Most recently, members of the PRSD and Driving Academy teams met with Peace River Transport General Manager Henry Dyck, Controller/Accountant Muriel McGuire, Operations Supervisor Henry Geisbrecht, and Office Assistant/Projects Manager Cassandra Gifford.

The team from Peace River Transport got a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the Driving Academy while the two organizations discussed the future positive impacts the program may have locally.