Okanagan College Officially Opens $28-Million Learning Centre
KELOWNA – Steve Thomson, Minister of Agriculture and Lands and MLA for Kelowna-Mission joined Norm Letnick, MLA for Kelowna-Lake Country and Okanagan College representatives to officially open the $28-million Centre for Learning in Kelowna today.
“The Okanagan can take pride in Okanagan College and this significant addition to its Kelowna campus,” said Thomson. “I’m extremely proud of the investment our government is making in Okanagan College.”
The Centre for Learning adds 6,360 square metres of space to Okanagan College’s Kelowna campus. The building provides for 21 classrooms with seating for 757 students, an expanded library, a digital media shop with the latest technology, a professional development centre for instructors and staff, student services and food services.
“Our local students will have a better learning experience with the new Centre for Learning,” said Letnick. “Giving people better options in post secondary education closer to home benefits our entire community.”
The building also houses the Centre for Dialogue, a raised, round classroom built almost entirely of wood and inspired by the Kekuli or Aboriginal pit house. The circular design signifies the college’s commitment to a democratic, co-operative and engaged learning community. The Province provided $23 million and the college contributed $5 million, for a total investment of $28 million in the project.
The new facility makes it possible for all students, faculty and staff to be part of the campus community – previously, 75 students and three instructors from the Applied Business Technology program, and 65 college staff were in leased space off campus.
“The Centre for Learning is another example of the Province’s commitment to investing in public, post-secondary education so students have the best possible learning environment,” said Moira Stilwell, Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development. “The investments we are making today will ensure we have the qualified workers we’ll need for our future.”
The building has applied to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification, which means it’s designed, built and operates as a high-performance green building. For example, compared to standard construction with natural gas boiler operating systems, the building saves approximately 420 tonnes of CO2e per year, the equivalent of taking 118 mid-size cars off the road.
“This building has dramatically changed the feeling on this campus,” said Okanagan College president Jim Hamilton. “It has added much-needed space for students and has provided a real focus for the college’s sustainability efforts. Bringing administrative staff back to campus has reconnected them with the students and campus life.”
Since 2001, the Province has invested more than $1.8 billion in new funding for more than 840 capital projects on post-secondary campuses around B.C., opened seven new universities and added 35, 500 seats.
