Infrastructure
The new Royal Roads University (RRU), John Horgan Campus is open, offering innovative post-secondary options for a growing number of students living in the Westshore.
“Education opens the door to opportunity,” said Premier David Eby. “This new campus provides a doorway to future prosperity for people, for their families and for their community. It is a great tribute to John’s memory that this campus carries his name, as education opened a world of possibilities for him.”
The campus aims to support the growing number of people of all ages choosing to call Langford home through a unique partnership between RRU, the University of Victoria (UVic), Camosun College, the Justice Institute of B.C. and the Sooke School District.
“John from Langford always said education was the great equalizer,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure. “Westshore students will be well-served for generations to come with the new John Horgan Campus, where they can pursue higher learning closer to home.”
This post-secondary building will offer study options in a variety of program areas, including paramedic and health-care assistant training and early childhood learning. For students interested in pursuing undergraduate degrees, RRU is offering flexible study options in the areas of business and sustainability, social sciences and applied environmental studies.
“We are thrilled to open the RRU Langford, John Horgan Campus,” said Philip Steenkamp, president of RRU. “Students walking through these doors will expand their knowledge, explore new possibilities and gain the skills they need to thrive in an ever-changing world. And best of all, they can do it all in the heart of the Westshore.”
The five-storey building was designed to meet the needs of today’s students. It includes flexible classrooms and study spaces, as well as:
- an Indigenous centre, a designated space for Indigenous students to gather, cook and connect; and
- the Westshore innovation and startup hub, a space to host mentorship opportunities for students and hold events for the community to foster local entrepreneurship and innovation.
Built with sustainability at the forefront, the building achieved a LEED gold certification and zero-carbon building designation. Some of the sustainability measures include the use of B.C. mass timber, low-carbon concrete, maximized rainwater filtration and native vegetation in the landscaping to reduce irrigation demands.
John Horgan, the late premier of British Columbia, was a fierce advocate for education. Well known throughout the province as “John from Langford,” the naming of this new campus will carry on his legacy.
Quick Facts:
- Funding for this new building is estimated to be $106 million and was provided by the provincial government, RRU, UVic and Camosun College.
- Additional financial support was provided by the City of Langford.
- At full capacity, the school is expected to serve an estimated 1,300 full-time students.
A backgrounder follows.
