November 2006
Nov. 1, 2006
TRU alumna hits the big screenKAMLOOPS-TRU alumna Sylvia Coates has had one of her films, The Chair Affair, accepted into the North West Projections film festival in Bellingham, Washington, to be shown Nov. 10 and 11.
The movie’s storyline is as follows:
“When three grandmothers sat and listened to a speech given by Stephen
Lewis in their hometown of Kamloops, BC, they decided to do something
for the grandmothers in Africa. They asked 20 artists to voluntarily
paint a Muskoka Chair to be auctioned off with all proceeds going to the
Stephen Lewis Foundation. This movie is about those artists, their own
art, and their chairs. Usually working alone, as a group they produced
an amazing array of original art. Each tells a story of inspiration, of
contribution, of living in the art world and about their own work.
A South-African dancer opens the film, in the dark, and alone, opening
the door for each viewer to see in the light, both the plight of
grandmothers and orphans in Africa, and the private studios and thoughts
of an eclectic group of artists.
The two-minute trailer for the film can be viewed on the ‘net at
http://www.nwprojections.com/ or by ‘googling’ nwprojections. Click on ‘2006 selections and updates,’ and scroll down to ‘The Chair Affair,’ then click on ‘trailer.’
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For more information, please contact Ila Crawford at 250-371-5706
Nov. 7, 2006
TRU, NVIT reaffirm Aboriginal curriculum with signing ceremonyKAMLOOPS and MERRITT-The Bachelor of Social Work Program at Nicola Valley Institute of Technology has a new look and students, staff, faculty and administrators today celebrated the implementation of curriculum that favours Aboriginal culture and knowledge.
Under an agreement with Thompson Rivers University that was reaffirmed today in a signing ceremony, the Bachelor of Social Work degree has been offered at NVIT since 1998. The nationally-accredited four-year degree program graduates approximately 15 qualified social workers annually.
Revisions to the agreement between the two institutions in 2004 led to a series of curriculum and program changes that mean graduates will now be better prepared to work with Aboriginal communities to address their needs more fully.
NVIT President Casey Sheridan, who reaffirmed the Affiliation Agreement today with TRU President & Vice-Chancellor Roger Barnsley believes the new program is unique in Canada. “This very innovative program, developed by experienced faculty and guided by our Elders, will ensure that our graduates have the appropriate knowledge and skill to work to empower communities to succeed.”
President Barnsley noted that TRU is pleased to partner with institutions like NVIT. “TRU is proud of its association with NVIT and is pleased to support the development of the BSW degree as an Aboriginal culture-based program. Such initiatives fit with TRU's mandate as a comprehensive post-secondary institution and its aim to provide relevant and accessible educational programming to the people of this province. NVIT has an important place in the community of BC post-secondary institutions and the BSW program is clear evidence of its capacity to deliver quality educational programs in this community,” he added.
Gordon Bruyere, Coordinator of the BSW Program at NVIT, is the driving force behind the development of the new program “This program provides our students with access to relevant knowledge and skills and ensures that our graduates will work in ways that honour our Aboriginal heritage.”
Changes to the curriculum include new courses on Aboriginal human life cycles, Aboriginal social policy, practice, and ethics. The program has attracted students from around BC and across Canada.
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Nov. 7, 2006
Premier cuts ribbon to open new student residence
KAMLOOPS-TRU’s new 11-storey on-campus student residence was officially opened by BC Premier Gordon Campbell, who unveiled a plaque and participated in a ribbon-cutting today along with Dacon CEO & President Bob Wilson and TRU Board of Governors chair Ron Olynyk.
The $44.5 million project, the tallest building in Kamloops, was built as a result of a partnership between the university, builder Dacon Corporation, its subsidiary, Campus Living Centres, the largest private operator of student residences in Canada, and PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. (PCL), the largest general contracting organization in Canada.
"TRU appreciates the opportunity to partner with private enterprise in order to provide badly needed on-campus housing for students, and is grateful to Dacon and Campus Living Centres for establishing a comfortable and effective student residence on our Kamloops campus on terms that will benefit the university now and in the future," said TRU President and Vice-Chancellor Roger Barnsley.
Barnsley went on to explain that the residence partnership was a way for TRU to extend student services, enabling the university to use its core funding in the classroom for the direct benefit of all students.
"In addition to providing for their students' education goals, it's critical that our universities are also acting to provide the elements like student housing that are part of building a true community of learning," said Premier Campbell. "I applaud TRU for developing innovative solutions like they have done with this project and for their leadership in helping ensure B.C. students have the support and opportunities they need to build the futures they want."
The 585-bed residence, which began accepting students last August, incorporates barrier-free suites and several multi-use communal spaces, with three types of suite configurations available, with a total of 576 student beds, eight hotel suite beds, and one resident manager's bed.
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For more information, please contact Cliff Neufeld, VP Administration & Finance at 250-828-5011.
Nov. 8, 2006
Thompson Rivers University and Secwepemc Cultural Education Society sign protocol agreement KAMLOOPS-In order to establish an ongoing process between Thompson Rivers University and Secwepemc Cultural Education Society and to strengthen communication and a cooperative working relationship on issues of mutual concern between the two institutions, the two parties signed a protocol agreement at TRU Nov. 8.
The agreement came about as a result of recognition by both parties that the Secwepemc people and TRU have a common interest in respecting and recognizing each other's work in the areas of training and higher education,
as well as in working in partnership and cooperation in support of each other's interests and educational goals.
"The two organizations will establish a process of regular meetings in order to develop common understandings and/or strategies on matters of mutual concern," said TRU VP Academic and Provost Mark Evered. "We will also be looking at exploring opportunities to provide TRU programs like adult upgrading, trades and technology training and international development on band lands, and establishing a chair for Shuswap Studies, including a
Sewepemctsin language component."
Chief Keith Matthew, chief of the Simpcw First Nation and president of the SCES, was pleased to formalize an agreement with TRU.
"Our Secwepemc communities that are involved in SCES are proud to sign this agreement signalling a positive working relationship with our local university,” he said. “This marks a historic time for our people and we look forward to programs that will build our capacity to manage our band governments and build a new future together for our people."
The Secwepemc Cultural Education Society is comprised of 13 of the 17 Secwepemc communities that support the SCES. It was created to preserve, record, perpetuate and enhance the language, culture and history of the Secwepemc people, and to build the capacity of aboriginal peoples toward self-reliance and self-determination through training and higher education, and to foster relationships between the Secwepemc people and other cultures.
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For more information, please contact:
Chief Keith Matthew: 250-828-9778
Dr. Mark Evered: 250-377-6126
Nov. 8, 2006
Top TRU student takes to the mountaintops KAMLOOPS- Top TRU student Carly Thorp will take to the mountaintops this winter when she represents BC in the parallel giant slalom snowboarding event at the Canada Winter Games, to be held in Whitehorse, Yukon, Feb. 24 through Mar.10 next year, when snowboarding will be debuting as a demonstration sport.
The TRU Ambassador Entrance Award winner, who has been a top scholar-athlete since high school, winning athletic achievement and sportsmanship blocks for soccer and snowboarding as well as the Principal's Award for grade twelve academics when she graduated from Nakusp Secondary School last June, has also been selected to the BC Snowboard Cross team and will be training at Sun Peaks and Big White and then attending BC and Alberta races, including Nor-Am Cup events.
The first-year business student is already a teacher, with CASI Level 1 snowboard instructor certification. After earning her a bachelor degree in business administration, Thorp plans to apply it to one of her many fields of interest, likely human resource management for non-profit organizations or snowboarding events, teams or organizations.
The Ambassador’s Entrance Scholarship, open to all new first-year degree and diploma program applicants from across Canada who have not previously attended a college or university, recognizes academic excellence, leadership and community service. Students offered the award also accept the responsibility of some level of participation in representing the university at specific activities during the academic year.
That shouldn’t be a problem. The young snowboarding scholar, who also represented her province last March at the Snowboardcross Nationals in Quebec, has a history of volunteerism. She has been a director on the Arrow Lakes Youth Society board, taking part in establishing or maintaining programs like the Summer Youth Drama program, the Annual Skateboard/BMX Competition, polar bear swims and other community endeavours. She was also a member of her high school's Student Voice, a group that made the student body aware of healthy life choices and provided them with opportunities to make such choices.
“Attending Thompson Rivers University gives me the opportunity to represent a whole new group of exciting, creative and exceptional people and their community and being in Kamloops allows me to be closer to my sister, niece and nephew,” she said.
Once she gets to the Yukon this winter, Thorp will be closer to another member of her family: younger brother Alex will also be competing with her at the Canada Winter Games.
A photo of Carly while snowboarding is available at:
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/Psukan/snowboard_prov.jpg
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Nov. 8, 2006
TRU WolfPack soccer women win first game at nationals
KAMLOOPS-The TRU WolfPack women’s soccer team is one step closer to gold with its 1-0 overtime win today over FX Garneau at the CCAA national soccer championships hosted by Langara College.
Third-year forward Katie Clark (Kamloops), who was TRU’s Rookie of the Year in 2004-05 and a BCCAA 1st-team all-star and CCAA Nationals Player of the Game last year, got the golden goal for the WolfPack when she headed the ball past the FX Garneau netminder.
The WolfPack’s Kelsi Butner (Kamloops), a fourth-year defender who was also a 2006 and 2003 BCCAA Athlete of the Week, was named Player of the Game.
The women play again tomorrow at 10:30 vs NAIT. If the WolfPack wins that game, it will be in the gold medal match scheduled for 1:30 pm Saturday.
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For more information, please contact Ken Olynyk at 250-828-5273 or 250-320-4263.
November 14, 2006
TRU Chorus Sings Around the World
KAMLOOPS-Featuring folk songs from around the world, the TRU Chorus’ fall concert this year will also feature songs from Korea, China, Japan, and Africa sung in their original languages.
“The chorus will sing folk songs from the British Isles and Canada, as well as songs from some of the home countries for the international students,” explained TRU Chorus conductor John Churchley.
Churchley went on to explain that the 90-voice choir, made up of community members and TRU students, includes a large contingent of international students enrolled at TRU, and that this international element worked well during rehearsals for the upcoming programme.
“During rehearsals for the concert, the international students were able to provide pronunciation help to those choir members whose first language is English,” said Churchley, adding, “However, all of the singers had to work hard on pronouncing Welsh!”
The concert will take place at St. Andrew's Church located at 6th at Douglas at 7 pm Saturday, Nov. 25. Tickets are $7, and are available at the door or from choir members.
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For more information, please contact
John Churchley.
November 15, 2006
Eminent entrepreneur to give free public talk at TRU
KAMLOOPS-The public is invited to hear how Peter Armstrong, President, Founder, Chief Executive Officer and a principal of the Armstrong Hospitality Group, owner and operator of the Rocky Mountaineer, Thompson Hotel and Two River Junction Theatre, has, over a 15-year period, grown Rocky Mountaineer Vacations from a small entrepreneurial dream to a successful company with over 400 employees and sales representation in 18 countries.
Armstrong, 52, who has won, among many other distinctions, the Queens Jubilee Award for Community Service, the Canadian Venture Capitalists Entrepreneur of the Year, National Award for Customer Service Entrepreneur of the Year, the Entrepreneur of the Year, Tourism/Hospitality, and Entrepreneur of the Year, National Certificate for Exceptional Service, started his first tourism business, Spotlight Tours, at the age of 21.
This led to a position as partner and president of Gray Line of Vancouver, which he then privatized, the first such privatization of government assets in British Columbia. In 1989, Armstrong sold his shares in Gray Line and assembled a team to successfully bid on the fledgling Rocky Mountaineer service that was being operated by Via Rail, a subsidized federal crown corporation.
When, a year later, the federal government privatized the daylight tourist service that was introduced in 1988, the Great Canadian Railtour Company, the Armstrong Company, was awarded the rights to the service, developing a two-day all daylight journey through Canada’s West and the Rocky Mountains. This original two-day rail tour is now just one of the 70 independent vacation options that include city shops, sightseeing tours, rail and drive programs, and year-round destination-based vacations.
Fifteen years after it was founded, the Rocky Mountaineer hosted a record 77,000 guests and GCRC was awarded the rights to operate new tourist trains on additional CN and former BC Rail routes. The following year, the company acquired Gray Line West (GLW), an already successful motorcoach operation based in Banff, Whistler, Vancouver and Victoria, and this year launched the new Rocky Mountaineer Fraser Discovery route between Whistler, B.C. and Jasper, Alberta, and the Whistler Mountaineer, a three-hour train trip between North Vancouver and Whistler along the famous “sea to sky” scenery of Howe Sound, the Coastal Mountains and Garibaldi Provincial Park.
Armstrong’s talk, part of the university’s MBA Lecture Series, will be held in Room 1020 of TRU’s International Building at 4:30 pm Monday, Nov. 20. Admission is free.
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For more information, please contact Margaret Hohner at 377-6176.
November 15, 2006
Space stars to launch TRU Astronomy WalkKAMLOOPS-British author and inventor Sir Arthur C. Clarke, most famous for his science-fiction novel, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and for collaborating with director Stanley Kubrick on the film of the same name, will open a space odyssey of a different kind in Kamloops next Tuesday.
A taped message from Clarke, confined to a wheelchair in his adopted country of Sri Lanka, will signal the official launch of the
TRU Astronomy Walk, a model project designed to help people of all ages understand something of the size, scale and distances between the planets, stars and galaxies that make up the universe.
“It’s one thing to learn facts and figures about the universe, but quite another to actually experience the scales involved. This is where the Astronomy Walk makes a big difference: it gives us a sense of perspective as nothing else can,” said Clarke from his home in Sri Lanka.
The walk and the models associated with it also serve to link TRU to the City of Kamloops (which hosts the "nearest star" portion of the model on the Millennium Trail just north of Windsor Avenue), TRU's Williams Lake (Leo I ) campus, and important centres in the TRU region, including Merritt (The Small Magellanic Cloud), 100 Mile House (Leo II), Ashcroft (The Large Magellanic Cloud), and Chase (Ursa Minor), which house a model galaxy - a member of the "Local Group" of galaxies surrounding the Milky Way.
The launch will also feature the popular and widely respected astronomer Dr. Jaymie Matthews of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
Matthews, an Associate Professor of Astronomy in UBC’s Department of Physics & Astronomy and Mission Scientist and Principal Investigator for MOST, a Canadian Space Agency project to study Microvariability & Oscillations of STars, is a leading expert in the field of stellar seismology: literally using the surface vibrations of vibrating stars to probe their hidden interiors and histories.
Vice-President of the Board of the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and Chair of its Programming & Education Committee, Dr. Matthews is particularly interested in astronomy education and public outreach. His media (mis)adventures include frequent appearances on CityTV Vancouver and Space: The Imagination Station, hosting the upcoming "Starchasers" series on Canadian Learning Television, and posing in multiple guises (from a superhero flying in the ozone layer to an X-ray version of Austin Powers) in the Discovery Channel miniseries "Light: More Than Meets The Eye." He has yet to live down being quoted in Discover Magazine as saying "Exploding Star Contains Atoms from Elvis Presley's Brain - Scientists Confirm That the King of Rock & Roll Lived in Another Galaxy 160,000 Years Ago!"
The launch, scheduled for lift-off at 6:30 pm on the west end of Student Street in TRU’s Old Main building, will be followed by a free public showing of the movie, “2001: A Space Odyssey” in the Independent Centre, located in TRU’s Campus Activity Centre.
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For more information, or to arrange an interview with Dr. Matthews, please contact Roger Collins at 250-371-5560.
November 20, 2006
Major increase in student awards at TRU KAMLOOPS-When TRU holds its annual donor awards ceremony this Thursday, 326 students will receive a total of $391,000 in award money, an increase of $100,000 over last year. The donor ceremony, at which donors meet the students who benefit from the award they have established, begins at 5pm on Nov. 23 in TRU's Grand Hall.
A second ceremony will be held in the same venue a week later on Nov. 30, when 183 students will receive $118,000 more from the Foundation's unrestricted fund. Earlier this year, the TRU Board of Governors awarded an additional $465,000 in bursaries and entrance scholarships.
These awards, plus other awards provided by Foundation donors that are given out in the winter and spring, will bring the grand total awarded to TRU students from all sources in the 2006/07 academic year to an estimated $1.3 million, the largest amount given out in the history of the Foundation.
The increase is due to new annual awards and endowment funds established by donors who may earmark their gifts for students in specific programs, or give to the Foundation's unrestricted fund. The increase is also in part due to the favourable interest rates this past year on Foundation endowment funds.
"From personal experience I can tell you what a tremendous feeling it is to hand out an award to a student at the annual awards ceremony," said Foundation Board Chair Dave Shaw. "From my perspective, one of the most meaningful comments I have received from a student is that this gift has enabled them to decide to continue into the next semester with some financial security and stability," he added.
Kim Rathwell-Austin, 2006 TRU Bachelor of Social Work degree graduate and former Foundation student award recipient, backed up Shaw's statement with a personal anecdote.
"As a recipient of bursaries and scholarships I give thanks that someone believed in me enough to give me money and that in turn made me accountable to myself, to the faculty, to the larger community of TRU, to the donor and to my fellow students," she said.
The 2006 Lieutenant-Governor's silver medal, won by Rathwell-Austin in 2003, will also be awarded Nov. 23.
With its 25th anniversary still a year away, TRUs 15-member volunteer board and 62-member volunteer society have now raised over $6.9 million in 206 endowment funds, established 205 annual funds, and raised over $1 million last year, with an additional 1.8 million dollars in planned giving expectancies advised to the Foundation last year, to support student awards, program needs and special projects at TRU.
To make a donation to the TRU Foundation, to find out more about creating a student award fund or to establish a planned gift or legacy to TRU, please call 828-5264 or visit the
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Opportunities for media interviews with donors and student recipients will be arranged by the Foundation after the ceremony.
Photo opportunity: Lieutenant-Governor's Silver Medalist.
For more information, please contact Karen Gamracy at (250) 371-5715 or
by email.
Nov. 23, 2006
TRU Awards 2006: medal winner spotlightKAMLOOPS- Getting a major award wasn’t even in Ann Scott’s sights when she enrolled in TRU’s Social Service Worker certificate course after years away from the classroom; she was worried about just getting through the program she enrolled in after injuries from a car accident forced a career change.
A former dental assistant who worked in the Lower Mainland and her home town of Kamloops for 16 years, Scott entered the classroom with more than a little trepidation.
“I was very nervous about coming back to school; it certainly wasn’t in my big plan, what I saw myself doing in my life. It was kind of intimidating, but needless to say, it turned out differently from what I expected,” she said, after being told she was the 2006 winner of the Lieutenant-Governor’s silver medal, awarded to a student in a one-year post-secondary program who demonstrates both high marks and community service.
“It was an honour to be nominated and very nice to have my efforts recognized,” said Scott of the award. “I really tried to do well. I might have overcompensated a bit because I was worried about succeeding at all.”
Now in the second year of TRU’s two-year Child and Youth Care diploma program, having received full credit for the first year due to her completion of the Social Service Worker certificate, Scott is taking things a bit easier.
“I worked really hard on my certificate work, and sacrificed time with my family to get good grades,” explained the wife and mother of two school-aged sons, aged nine and twelve. “Now I’ve found a better balance between school and home life.”
Scott, whose father, Joe Turkenburg, was one of the founding instructors of TRU’s Culinary Arts program (then Cariboo College’s Cook Training program), had some advice for university students, whether just out of high school or, like her, mature students returning after many years away from school.
“It’s important to get involved with campus life,” she said. “It makes your time as a student much more enjoyable.”
An active volunteer, Scott has given of her time to campus initiatives like the TRU Peer Support Team, the TRU Appeal Committee, the TRU Student Leadership Program, and as a class representative for both her certificate and now her diploma programs. She has also volunteered in the community, working as a court worker for the Elizabeth Fry Society and designing an information brochure for visiting international students enrolled in schools within School District #73.
Scott receives her medal at TRU’s Donor Awards ceremony at 5 pm Nov. 23, when she will also be presented with a Rotary Daybreak award.
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For more information, please contact Ann Scott at 250-377-3480.
Nov. 23, 2006
TRU Awards 2006: donor spotlightsKAMLOOPS-The following are among the 250-plus donors presenting a total of $391,000 in financial awards to 326 students at TRU’s Donor Awards Ceremony at 5 pm today in the university’s Grand Hall.
iCompass Technologies Award NEW AWARDAwarded annually to a second year or higher student enrolled in either the Applied Computing Science - BTACS program, the Computing Science Degree program or the Computer Systems Operations & Management Diploma (CSOM) program who demonstrates financial need.
Table: #16 Recipient: William Pecor. Donor: Todd Stone
Convergys Award for Excellence NEW AWARDTwo $1,000 scholarships provided to TRU students who are current Convergys employees or children of current Convergys employees. If no applications for the award are received from Convergys employees or children of current Convergys employees then the awards are to be given to students enrolled in the second year or greater of a business program specializing in any aspect of business including finance, marketing, human resources, communications, etc. Selection will be based on academic achievement and community responsibility
Table: #11 Recipients: Rachel Champagne & Gordon RonmarkDonor: Shane Kerpan
Heritage Office Furnishings Award NEW AWARDTwo awards of $1,500 each to 2nd year or higher business students that demonstrate financial need.
Table: #23 Recipients: Corinna Camille and Trevor KorokukDonor contact: Jim Shuparsky
Lake City Casino AwardsTwo annual awards of $6,000 each to be awarded to one 2nd year student and one 4th year student who demonstrate financial need. Students must have a 2.5 GPA or better.
Table: #20 Recipients: Kevin Cole and Amber Horne. Donor contact: Fred Ramgren
Royal Canadian Legion Foundation BC/Yukon Command Award$5,000 awarded annually to a 3rd year Bachelor of Science Nursing student who demonstrates financial need and has an interest in geriatric nursing. Students applying for this award are required to attach a brief essay to their application about their interest in geriatric nursing.
Table: #27 Recipient: Sarah Newman. Donor Contact: Andy Phillips
Amelia Woodvine Hunter Memorial ScholarshipThe Amelia Woodvine Hunter Memorial Scholarship is presented annually to one student in Year 3 or 4 of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program and to one student in the Bachelor of Social Work Program who demonstrate an interest in the field of mental health and who show potential for excellence in the delivery of mental health care to individuals and families. The award recognizes the value of inter-professional teamwork of social workers and nurses in providing high quality mental health service. In offering this scholarship, the family of Amelia Woodvine are particularly concerned about the general area of postpartum mood disorders as they impact the lives of women and their families. Dr. Hunter is a retired Kamloops psychiatrist. Table: #3
Recipients: Sarah Cuzzetto and Andrea Husack. Donor contacts: Dr. Susan Duncan and Dr. Douglas Hunter
Soroptimist International of Kamloops Training AwardTwo bursaries of $1050 each to be awarded annually to a student in Early Childhood Education and the Health Care Field. Preference to a woman.
Table: #2 Recipients: Tricia Mackey and Brittany Walsh. Donor: Shirley Sanderson
For more information, please contact Karen Gamracy at (250) 371-5715
Nov. 29, 2006
Adventure calendar to support student ventureKAMLOOPS-It’s unique, alright: a calendar comprised of adventure photos from the past year taken by adventure guide students at TRU while on climbing, kayaking and other field trips in BC, Alberta, Ontario and the United States to support a trip to Tibet, one of the biggest adventures these students will encounter during their time at TRU.
The group of nine students have until the end of April to fundraise for the trip, which comes with course credit and is being organized by the students in collaboration with TRU Bachelor of Tourism Management graduate Chris Jones, who is now working with Wind Horse Adventures in Tibet.
Traveling with Sharman Learie, the university’s paddling program director and driving force behind the creation of the expedition, the students will work alongside adventure guides in Tibet and also help out with the international organization, Braille without Borders, and in a cultural exchange at the University of Tibet.
“The trip will give us great experience with expedition planning and all aspects of it,” explained adventure student David Downey. “We will be working in a foreign country alongside guides who are training to work for Wind Horse, and so it will be a great way to compare the training we receive.”
Downey is also pumped about working with Braille without Borders, an organization focussed on giving
children and people with vision impairments a chance to participate in an activity they otherwise couldn't.
“We’ll be taking children who would ordinarily not get to rafting, and we will take them on a flat water rafting trip down the river. For these kids this may be the highlight of a lifetime,” he explained, adding, “Working with Braille without Borders gives us the opportunity to really connect with the people in Tibet and people with challenges. It brings out the essence of intercultural relations, and adds a humanitarian aspect to the trip, which is something all of us wanted to participate in.”
The humanitarian aspect aside, the venture poses guiding challenges for the students, said Downey.
“We are all looking forward to learning how to adapt to a different type of client with physical and language barriers to deal with; it's not just a great opportunity for the children, but for us as well,” he said.
The students will also meet their Tibetan peers and have a chance to promote the school and the province.
“We have organized three nights of cultural exchange with the University of Tibet, and at these nights we will be presenting on the Adventure Guide program and tourism throughout the province of BC. These presentations will
involve slideshows and movies as well as our oral presentation,” Downey explained.
The calendars, available at $12 each or $11 each with a purchase of five or more, or $10 each for a purchase of 10 or more, can be purchased from Valhalla Pure or at the Adventure Programs office located in the Old Main building at TRU. The students hope to sell all of the calendars before the end of December, but will continue to sell them until they’re all gone.
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For more information, please contact:
Gilles Valade (instructor) at (250)371-5843
or David Downey (student) at 250-319-6245
or Greg Simmonds (student) at 250-213-6237
Calendar photo available on request to
David Downey or
Bronwen Scott