The Canadian government and the province of Manitoba have kicked in a total of $22.4 million to build the new Canadian Environmental Test Research and Education Center (CanETREC) in Thompson, Manitoba. The facility promises to be the most advanced cold weather testing and research establishment in the world, according to Vic Toews, president of the Canadian Treasury Board.
The test center will operate year-round, and will specialize in engine icing certification and research. CanETREC will be co-located in a new facility—the Global Aerospace Center for Icing and Environmental Research, Inc. (GLACIER)—being built by a joint venture between Rolls-Royce Canada Limited and Pratt & Whitney Canada. GLACIER will focus on the development of icing simulation technology for aircraft engines and wings, as well as ice detection equipment for aircraft, and atmospheric measurement of icing conditions.
