Image: UFV / The University of the Fraser Valley welcomed dignitaries, elected officials, education faculty and the public to its newly renovated campus in Mission during a ribbon cutting ceremony last Friday, September 6.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Newly renovated UFV campus in Mission

UFV unveils newly renovated School of Education campus in Mission

Sep 10, 2024 | 3:14 PM

MISSION — The University of the Fraser Valley welcomed dignitaries, elected officials, education faculty and the public to its newly renovated campus in Mission during a ribbon cutting ceremony last Friday.

UFV President Dr. Joanne MacLean, B.C. Minister of Agriculture Pam Alexis and Mission Mayor Paul Horn were among the prominent officials who presided over the opening of the revitalized campus in Mission.

“The energy and excitement among our education faculty and students at UFV’s newly reimagined Mission campus is truly inspiring,” said Dr. MacLean. “I am so pleased to see UFV establish a stronger presence in one of the core communities that we serve.”

The campus is home to UFV’s School of Education, which houses Teacher Education and Early Childhood Education programs together under one roof. The latter was previously embedded within the umbrella of Child, Youth, and Family Studies.

The Mission campus is a place that reflects the fundamental joy of learning that is a hallmark of UFV’s Education programs.

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“We play games,” said School of Education Director Sheryl MacMath. “We have singing and dancing and lots of excitement in our classrooms. Now we have an environment that supports us and works with the things we do.”

Mayor Paul Horn of Mission, a UFV alum himself, was part of the first cohort coming through the Teacher Education program, back when the program was housed in a trailer.

“Very few ingredients can positively shape a community like advanced education, and with this newly renovated campus, UFV is making a lasting investment in our community,” Horn said. “We look forward to developing new teachers and community workers, and we are eager to keep growing, together.”

The campus renovation was announced in 2023, with UFV committing to co-creating the space with Indigenous partners. The university consulted with Indigenous communities around Mission, and subsequently hired Indigenous artists to design the architecture.

The finished structure has been built with materials that are culturally important to the Stó:lō peoples, including cedar, a preserved moss wall, and rounded corners. Carvings and symbols appear throughout, with Indigenous artwork on the walls. Among those is a piece created by Una-Ann Moyer that hangs in the library on the main floor. It depicts a raven, beaver, bear, and Sasquatch paddling a canoe. The canoe rests on a sturgeon, representing continuity. Above the canoe is salmon, an important food source for the Stó:lō peoples.

Two pillars, created by Raphael Silver, stand at the outside entrance.  

Shirley Hardman, UFV Associate Vice-President Xwexwílmexwawt, hopes that students, faculty, and visitors not only enjoy the artwork, but appreciate it for its healing properties.

“Indigenous art is so much more than something to look at,” Shirley says. “Indigenous art is an act of transformation – what was once a tree is now a carved piece of art, or the hair of a mountain goat is now a hand-woven blanket. As we appreciate that act of transformation, we are also transformed – in that way art is like medicine.”

Dr. Keith Carlson, Director of UFV’s Peace and Reconciliation Centre, has partnered with Stó:lō Elder and Knowledge Keeper Si:yemiya Albert ‘Sonny’ McHalsie to install a display of local Indigenous artifacts, generously shared from the Stó:lō Research and Resource Management Centre (SRRMC). The artifacts are accompanied by infographics that outline the impact of colonialism in the region, as well as Stó:lō traditional practices and cultural values.

“This is part of UFV’s ongoing work to create a culturally safe learning environment that fosters a sense of belonging for Indigenous learners,” Keith says. “At the same time, this project informs non-Indigenous students and faculty of the impacts of settler colonialism.” 

The UFV Mission Library beckons to campus visitors as they enter the building. Featuring bookable spaces and a learning commons for students and community members alike, the library will act as an integral hub for connection between faculty, students, staff and community. Classrooms supporting active and experiential learning occupy the second floor.