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Indigenous space to expand at VIU in Nanaimo as student population rises

Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo is expanding its Indigenous gathering place
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Artist's rendering of an expanded Indigenous gathering place at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo. Province of B.C.

A $3.7-million addition is planned for the Indigenous gathering space at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, as the number of Indigenous students at the university rises.

Indigenous student enrollment has climbed by 11 per cent since 2018-2019, and is now 1,384 students. The total student population is 11,963.

The gathering space, called Shq’apthut, was established as a home away from home for Indigenous students, and is used for cultural, academic, recreational and social activities.

The upcoming addition, expected to be finished by the spring of 2024, will create more room for ceremonies and add Elder-in-Residence offices and new washrooms in a fully accessible structure. It will be heated and cooled by the onsite geo‑exchange energy system, which harnesses geo-energy stored in mine shafts below the campus.

The project will allow students to have one-on-one engagement with elders in a culturally appropriate environment, said Sylvia Scow, the university’s interim director of the office of Indigenous Education and Engagement.

Student James Beardy, who is working toward a bachelor degree in natural resource management, said Shq’apthut has been critical to his academic success because it has helped him feel comfortable.

Beardy, who is from the Fox Lake Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, said he has learned about Coast Salish culture and protocols while at VIU.

The province is contributing $3.3 million to the project and the university is putting in $417,300.

Construction is scheduled to start in spring 2023 and be completed one year later.

University president Deborah Saucier said in a statement that expanding Shq’apthut is a “tangible demonstration of our strategic commitment to build stronger partnerships with Indigenous communities in the regions we serve.”

cjwilson@timescolonist.com