Vancouver Island University’s tiwšɛmawtxʷ (teew-shem-awt) campus is celebrating a 50-year milestone on Saturday, October 5, at its Nootka Street location in Powell River, with an open house celebration beginning at noon.
VIU started off offering adult basic education classes in 1974 out of an office on Marine Avenue. A half-century later, the university is a satellite campus of VIU in Nanaimo and has expanded its post-secondary course, program and training with plans to continue to develop new opportunities for students in the region.
"As we reflect on and celebrate 50 years of post-secondary education in the qathet region, we are also planning for the next 50 years,” said campus administrator Liam Haggarty. "In 2023, we launched a comprehensive review of our programming guided by input from local leaders in education and employment, focus groups with qathet residents and hundreds of responses to our online survey."
Haggarty said some of the results will be shared at the open house on October 5.
The 50th birthday party for tiwšɛmawtxwcampus is the kick-off event for a series of activities planned between now and into the spring. The celebration is free and open to the public with hot dogs, snacks and refreshments provided. The anniversary will also be putting a spotlight on some of the university's programs, such as automotive, carpentry and nursing.
"Following the curtailment of the mill, we created a retraining program for employees interested in a career as a heavy equipment operator," said Haggarty. "In May 2024, we opened a brand new, state-of-the art health-care lab to train practical and registered nurses to fill jobs in our community."
A representative for VIU tiwšɛmawtxw provided the Peak with background information about the new health-care facility, and said that a significant injection of cash, close to $1 million, was invested in the labs. The university hasn't officially announced the new funding yet, as it is waiting for approval from the ministry of finance. The provincial government is holding off on making any funding announcements until after the general election on October 19.
The new health-care bridging program would allow students to complete a four-year bachelor of nursing program at the campus, if they choose to do so. There are also ways students can finance their education with grants from Vancouver Coastal Health and BC College of Nurses.
The anniversary event will also have information about lifelong learning courses taught by volunteers and offered for free to those 50 years of age and up.
"In addition to introductory university courses, we deliver professional development workshops, short-term credentials and professional training to address labour market needs," said Haggarty. “We pride ourselves on being an inclusive, accessible and equitable campus."
To find out more about the sustainable development plan for post-secondary education and training in the qathet region, go to pr.viu.ca/strategic-development-plan.
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