Trinity Western heads for Ottawa
LANGLEY, BC- Trinity Western University (TWU) has spent a lot of time in Ottawa lately. Now they plan to establish a permanent presence.
At the beginning of May, just as their controversial religious freedom case was wrapping up at the Supreme Court, TWU purchased a heritage building a short distance from the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill.
Their intent is to renovate the 16,000 square foot building on Metcalfe Street and eventually offer a semester-based program as an extension of the Langley university.
Program details are still in the developmental stage, but the century-old Laurentian Centre will eventually house about 20-25 students each semester, says TWU's vice president of marketing Ron Kuehl.
The extension is an example of a "university going into Ottawa and bridging major gaps in our nation between east and west," he says. "As a Christian university, we certainly believe in the development of godly Christian leaders who will serve Canada."
Donald Page, dean of graduate studies at the university and a political science professor, has long advocated for a centre in Ottawa. Prior to coming to TWU 12 years ago, Page was a senior policy advisor in foreign affairs with the federal government. He also spearheaded the development of the Public Service Christian Fellowship, which resulted in dozens of Bible study groups in many of the capital's federal agencies.
Ten years ago he proposed developing a remote site in Ottawa as an extension of the university's political science program. "When I left Ottawa, [TWU] president Neil Snider challenged me, asking 'What are you doing to replace yourself?'" he says. "That was the thinking of many of the Christians in Ottawa at that time—how we could prepare people to be Christ's ambassadors in the government."
Page is executive director for the centre and will develop courses to make use of the Ottawa extension. Students from various programs will take part in a variety of educational opportunities through the centre, including internships, he says.
Trinity Western is already involved in similar programs affiliated with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. The Laurentian Centre programs will likely be modeled after the CCCU's American Studies program in Washington, says Page.
"We want to have an opportunity for Christian students, and those from Western Canada, to learn how the Ottawa government system functions and enable them to better serve their country," he says.
The university hopes to open the Laurentian Centre in the fall of 2002.
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