A new collaborative post-secondary campus will be built in downtown Langford, B.C. It is a first-of-its-kind partnership between Royal Roads University (RRU), the University of Victoria (UVic), Camosun College and the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC). It will also include space for programming by School District 62 (Sooke).
“The people of the Westshore have waited a long time to have another post-secondary campus in their community,” said Premier John Horgan, MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca. “Residents will now be able to further their education right here at home without needing to live in – or commute to – another city. I know this will encourage even more people in the Westshore to get an education that is the key to future prosperity. British Columbia will have one million job openings in the coming decade. Four of every five of those jobs will require a post-secondary education or specialized skills training. Our government will continue to make the investments necessary to ensure the skills gap is closed.”
The campus will serve the educational needs of students from Sooke and the Westshore municipalities of Langford, Colwood, View Royal, Metchosin and Highlands. It will serve students from First Nations throughout southern Vancouver Island, particularly those on the Westshore, including T’Sou-ke (Sooke), Pacheedaht (Port Renfrew), Scia’new (Beecher Bay), Xwsepsum (Esquimalt), Lekwungen (Songhees) and Malahat.
The five-storey mass timber building will include flexible learning spaces and classrooms, student supports, a multi-purpose classroom called the Innovation Studio, and space for Indigenous gatherings. The project is planned to meet the Zero Carbon Building design standard, the first public post-secondary institution in B.C. to target this, in addition to targeting LEED Gold certification. Both standards are administered by the Canada Green Building Council.
The $98-million project includes a $77.8-million investment from the provincial government for the construction of the building, and $18.5 million from Royal Roads University for the land purchase plus an additional $500,000 for capital costs. Additional capital contributions include $1 million from the University of Victoria and $200,000 from Camosun College.
