The 15,000-square-foot centre will feature indoor and outdoor education spaces, classroom and event space, a laboratory, bee breeding facilities and pollinator gardens.

Aecon will provide financial backing to help transform the way Durham College delivers industrial and construction-focused professional and skilled trades training and education.

The annual pace of housing starts dropped 23 per cent in May compared with April as starts of apartments, condos and other types of multi-unit housing projects in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal fell.

The funding will help train 100 journeypersons and apprentices in Sarnia and southwestern Ontario.

Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark said the new powers for the large and fast-growing municipalities will ensure they can deliver on provincially assigned housing commitments.