CALGARY - When reconstruction of the North Campus began in 2006, we took a step of faith as a College community. And four years later on May 26, 2010, the College community gathered to celebrate the official reopening of North Campus and the unveiling of Donor Square.

Over 400 Bow Valley College supporters lined the North Campus atrium for the ceremony.

Having braved extremes of temperature, shortages of space, elevator drama, visits by pigeons, and construction noise, faculty, staff and students were thanked for their patience and praised by President Sharon Carry for “…grabbing hold of the vision and being part of the incredible growth of post-secondary education in our region.”

The Honourable Ray Danyluk, Minister of Infrastructure, standing in for Premier Stelmach, added his congratulations before the crowd of over 500 faculty, staff, students, alumni, government officials, and donors, “What you have accomplished with this redevelopment is truly impressive, but I know what your students and your staff will accomplish within these walls will be remarkable.“

Virtually every square inch of the 1970-era building at 332-6^thAvenue SE has undergone a radical, state-of-the-art transformation, with some 5,600 square metres recaptured on the building’s existing footprint. And while working, learning, and studying in a building under construction is challenging, it has been worth the effort: the cost of North Campus is one-half the cost of constructing an entirely new building of the same dimensions.

Bow Valley College Board Chair, Scott Thon cuts the ribbon to mark the official reopening of North Campus.

Funding for the North Campus redevelopment project was a collaborative effort between the provincial government (Alberta Advanced Education and Technology and Alberta Infrastructure), the federal government through its Knowledge Infrastructure Program, and Bow Valley College. The College’s first-ever capital campaign –Improving Lives Beyond the Classroom™ wrapped up in 2009.

Through the generosity of hundreds of donors, the campaign exceeded its $10 million goal by three million dollars.

In fact, with the unveiling of Donor Square as part of the grand reopening, those donors were honoured for their contribution to this historic project. Kevin Gregor, Campaign Chair, thanked the donors at a special reception following the unveiling.

A new addition to the campus is BVCTV. Directly opposite the elevator bays on each floor is a 42” screen that will run the College’s daily news and announcements, along with RSS feeds and weather updates.

On May 26, BVCTV featured a webcast of the event, including a video that featured Kray Price of College Advancement taking viewers through a comical virtual tour of the renovated spaces such as the Pharm Tech lab, the Aboriginal Centre, and the LRS. Long-time College employee Jack Sutherland was featured in a cameo appearance. The webcast allowed viewers throughout our regional stewardship area to join in on the celebration.

Hosted by Board Chair, Scott Thon, the event was so much more than a celebration of the completion of a building project; it was another step forward in building for the future. “With our mandate as Calgary and Region’s One & Only Comprehensive Community College, we are creating a state-of-the-art learning environment for today and long into the future. The North Campus and the soon to be completed South Campus are legacies for the future of post-secondary education in southern Alberta where 24/7 full-time, part-time, online, in-class learning options will be an expected part of the curriculum,” stated Sharon Carry.

The celebration concluded with a thank you event for donor—including faculty and staff donors to the Choices Campaign — and a celebratory lunch in the cafeteria on the third floor for faculty, staff, and students.

For those who missed the event, take in the webcast at:http://bowvalleycollege.tv/may26/