Refreshed and renewed, the Wilna Thomas Building on Camonsun’s Lansdowne campus will once again benefit its students.
The building was named in memory of a beloved college instructor, social worker and donor, Wilna Thomas.
It was opened originally in 1996 and has served as a learning centre for health and human services as well as basic adult learning for more than 25 years now.
Following its grand re-opening ceremony held this Wednesday at 11 a.m., students now have access to the building and have the province to thank for the $9.3 million investment into the renovation project to provide students and faculty the very best facilities for a collaborative learning environment.
“We know investing in new and renovated facilities delivers the best educational experience to post-secondary students and keeps them competitive in the 21st century,” said Rob Fleming, MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake.
“This project greatly improves students’ quality of education through access to resources that provide students flexibility in the way they learn.”
The Wilna Thomas building has been completely modernized with its new state-of-the-art facilities which include a 150-person gathering hall with an attached patio, a quiet reflection space, breakout rooms, a new café, an Indigenous learning space and an idea lab for innovation and collaboration with other students.
It also includes five upgraded classrooms, as well as upgraded washrooms, technology, and heating and cooling systems.
“Students need a purpose-built place where they can go to study, collaborate and just hang out without worrying about disturbing other people,” said Jessie Niikoi, Camosun College Student Society.
“The renovations to the Wilna Thomas building bring a lot of very cool and exciting features to the Lansdowne campus that will help students come together and collaborate.”
