(Photo: Pratt & Whitney)

THOMPSON, Man. The Manitoba government will help bankroll the expansion of an aircraft engine testing facility near Thompson.

Premier Greg Selinger says the province will loan $2.5-million to the Global Aerospace Centre for Icing and Environmental Research.

The Glacier centre tests engines to see how they operate in cold weather.

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Glacier is a consortium that includes Rolls Royce Canada Ltd. and Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.

Selinger says the facility is a major employer in the area.

The loan is on top of $9.5 million the province committed in 2009 to help establish the $40-million facility.