Thompson Rivers University began construction today on The Gathering Place in Williams Lake. The $800,000 structure modeled after a winter pit house once used by Interior Salish peoples of the Carrier, Chilcotin and Shuswap nations.

Construction costs are shared with the province – $300,000 being provided by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour and $500,000 coming from TRU’s capital planThe building is expected to be ready for occupancy in early 2010

“This Gathering Place will play a key part in the University’s efforts to recognize and honour the fact that the institution sits in the traditional territories of a number of First Nations. The structure will also substantially increase the visibility of traditional and contemporary Interior Salish culture and society on the campus,” says Nathan Matthew, TRU’s Executive Director of Aboriginal Education.

The Gathering Place will provide study and meeting space for students, as well as space for ceremonies and displays celebrating First Nations and Aboriginal culture and history. The structure will also house TRU’s ‘Elders in Residence’ program, which provides counselling and support to Aboriginal students.

“We held an open house in spring of 2008 to receive feedback from local First Nations and aboriginal students,” says Cliff Neufeld, TRU’s VP Administration and Finance. “With that valuable input on the function, shape and location of the building our architects were able to design a building that meets the traditional needs of the region while being registered for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System”.

The Gathering Place will be an octagonal, conical roofed building, with a living roof (natural grass sod) partially set in the ground to mirror the traditional pit house design. Inside, the space will be predominantly open, with enclosed areas for washrooms and for Elders’ meeting space.

Display areas will be available to mount art and cultural artefacts and the building will be wheelchair accessible. The structure will be heated and air-conditioned and natural light will enter via skylights and through windows mounted in the sidewalls.

Contact:

• Nathan Matthew, Executive Director, Aboriginal Education, 250.851.6054
• Gerry Desrochers, Director, Williams Lake and Regional Campuses, 250.392.8000