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Philanthropist promotes learning

Sadie Cox

One of the provinces leading post-secondary benefactors has donated $1.5 million towards the construction of TRU’s $32 million House of Learning project. In recognition of his significant contribution, TRU will name the House of Learning’s assembly hall “The Irving K. Barber British Columbia Centre”. Irving K. Barber has donated and invested over $50 million in the educational system in BC and provided millions more in endowments. When asked what compels his generosity Barber stated that Canada can only be the product of its collective environments. “We must make BC stronger in order to face the challenges ahead,” said Barber. He said he hopes to drive educational standards higher so people in BC can compete with the strongest minds in the world. Barber, a high-school drop out, got a second chance after serving time in the Air Force during World War II. “I want to give others the same chance I had,” said Barber who is working on a provincial program aimed at extending better educational opportunities to those who may not otherwise qualify because of grades or learning difficulties. Barber said more needs to be done to address aboriginal education. The assembly hall borrows from First Nations in how to communicate and is designed in the context of an Interior Salish pit house. When complete the hall will feature state of the art technology to support lectures, meetings, symposia and conferences. “It will encourage and facilitate interactive dialogue,” said interim TRU president Roger Barnsley during a press conference June 17 announcing the name of the assembly hall. The approximately 58,000 square foot House of Learning will be the first university facility built to LEEDS gold standard and the largest in-the-round assembly hall of its kind in the province. The design includes a sod roof and a ‘living wall’. The roof under the sod is constructed from 492 log assembled panels made from beetle-kill wood. The federal government has invested $8.3 million and the provincial government $18 million towards the $32-million building. The balance of the funding has comes from TRU and major capital fundraising campaign efforts by the university. Construction of the assembly hall is scheduled to be completed in the Spring of 2011.