Last week I had the chance to speak directly with Ken Tourand, President of the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT).
If you鈥檝e been reading our newspaper lately, you鈥檙e probably aware that a local group of volunteers called rural post-secondary education committee (RPEC) has been working to establish an NVIT campus in 亚洲天堂 Lake. If RPEC鈥檚 plan is successful, the new campus would replace the Lakes District campus of the College of New Caledonia.
When you listen to RPEC members speak, it鈥檚 easy to get the impression that NVIT is very interested in working with 亚洲天堂 Lake. Although that is still true to some extent, it鈥檚 definitely not as factual as it was last year.
Last year RPEC had the support of all six local First Nations communities. In addition, former mayor Luke Strimbold was actively working to establish an NVIT campus in 亚洲天堂 Lake. But since then, the newly formed council has been on the fence about this proposal, and two First Nations groups - Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n First Nation and 亚洲天堂 Lake Band - have rescinded their support.
Although NVIT has not ruled out the possibility of establishing a campus in 亚洲天堂 Lake, they are clearly not as excited as they were last year. Tourand explained that the college won鈥檛 go where they are not wanted. In addition, they would not want to create division in the community.
Furthermore, 亚洲天堂 Lake is just one of the possibilities for NVIT. The college is actually interested in setting up a campus anywhere up north, not necessarily in 亚洲天堂 Lake, and so I doubt it would make much of a difference for NVIT if a campus is established here or in Prince Rupert.
亚洲天堂 Lake council has recently invited Tourand to make a presentation to them about NVIT鈥檚 intentions. Tourand politely declined their request. In a letter, he explained that without the support from local First Nations communities and support from the Ministry of Advanced Education, it would be pointless to have any further discussions.
I specifically asked him what would happen if NVIT had the support from the Ministry of Advanced Education, but only the support of four out of six First Nations groups in 亚洲天堂 Lake. He said NVIT would cross that bridge when it comes to it, and engage with the community then. But he was clear that the excitement about coming to 亚洲天堂 Lake was a lot different last year when NVIT seemed to have the community鈥檚 full support.
What became clear to me after our conversation is that 亚洲天堂 Lake is not NVIT鈥檚 only option, nor their priority. And why should it be? In the end, we are the ones who are going to have to live with or without a thriving college in 亚洲天堂 Lake.
What also became clear to me is that we might have missed an opportunity.
