Royal Roads University, the University of Victoria, Camosun College, the Justice Institute of British Columbia, and School District 62 (Sooke) will be opening a collaborative campus on Vancouver Island. The $98M project will serve the educational needs of students from the fast-growing Sooke and Westshore municipalities, including students from First Nations such as T’Sou-ke (Sooke), Pacheedaht (Port Renfrew), Scia’new (Beecher Bay), Xwsepsum (Esquimalt), Lekwungen (Songhees), and Malahat. The campus will offer a common foundations program along with various courses taught by the different institutions. It will include a five-story building that will house learning spaces and classrooms, student supports, a multi-purpose classroom known as the Innovation Studio, a space for Indigenous gatherings, and more. It is expected to open in the fall of 2024 with around 600 students. “With how quickly our Westshore communities are growing, there is no question that people will benefit from this new campus,” said Mitzi Dean, MLA for Esquimalt-Metchosin. “This will reduce barriers so more people, including youth, across our communities can pursue higher education and skills training closer to home.”
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