In early May, the front window of the small Capilano University campus on Winnipeg Street showed a “For Lease” sign.
Today, the lease sign is still there, and the university’s logo on the windows has been removed from the glass.
The expiration of the lease points to an uncertain future for the North Vancouver-based university in the Squamish community. A Capilano spokesperson confirmed by email that the lease has expired on the 1,200-square-foot office, but the advisor could not provide further information about what the move means to programming in the long term.
Earlier this year, Capilano cancelled the wilderness leadership program, announcing it intends to replace it with a more intensive post-baccalaureate-style education.
The university still intends on developing the revamped program with an eye toward launching in early 2017, although it has not identified the location where it will be taught.
“The post-baccalaureate program is expected to operate throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor, capitalizing on Squamish’s reputation as ‘Canada’s Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada.’ The actual physical location where classes will meet is still to be determined,” Capilano senior communications advisor Cheryl Rossi said via email.
The university has also clarified the expiration of the Winnipeg Street lease will mean business classes usually held in Squamish will not be offered this fall.
Such uncertainty is not new for the university. In 2013, Capilano cut many programs. In Squamish, this meant adult basic education program students had to travel to North Vancouver to attend classes.
In 2015, the university moved its Squamish operation from a large building behind Howe Sound Secondary to the Winnipeg Street office. Five years prior to the cuts in 2013, it was a different story after Capilano purchased land formerly owned by B.C. Rail near the estuary because of plans to expand.
“We’ve been concerned about Squamish for a while now because of the move from the big building there to the downtown campus,” said Brent Calvert, president of the Capilano University Faculty Association. “Effectively, they’ve been shuttering all kinds of programs at Cap for a couple of years now.”
Calvert planned to meet with university administration to find out more but said the administration has not been transparent about what will happen. The faculty association had submitted questions about the budget as well as the Squamish and Sunshine Coast campuses for a meeting in late May, but administration postponed the meeting in order to get ready for an accountability report.
“We’re just kind of in a holding pattern,” Calvert said.
Like the faculty association, the Capilano Students Union has heard little information about changes to service in communities like Squamish. At present, CSU representatives said they hoped to hear more from administration, adding that they are seeking clarification on the matter and hope the university will keep in mind the best interests of students when making financial and capital decisions.
