The University of the Fraser Valley is welcoming students to its newly renovated campus in Mission. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Friday, Sept. 6 which included UFV President Dr. Joanne MacLean, MLA Pam Alexis, and Mission Mayor Paul Horn. Celebrations continue this Saturday, Sept. 14 with the Mission launch of UFV’s Community Report from 11am – 12pm, followed by a campus Open House until 2pm.

“The energy and excitement among our education faculty and students at UFV’s newly reimagined Mission campus is truly inspiring,” said Joanne MacLean, President, UFV. “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 brings Teacher Education and Early Childhood Education together under one roof. The latter was previously under the umbrella of Child, Youth, and Family Studies.

The Mission campus is a place, says School of Education Director Sheryl MacMath, that reflects the fundamental joy of learning that is a hallmark of UFV’s Education programs. “We play games. 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.”

A UFV alum, Mayor Paul Horn 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,” Paul says. “We look forward to developing new teachers and community workers, and we are eager to keep growing, together.”

Sheryl is grateful for the warm welcome from Mission and can feel how much the School of Education is wanted there. “This is a place where we can take a deep, relaxing breath and think to ourselves, ‘We’re finally home.’”

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 will greet campus visitors as they enter the building. With bookable spaces and a learning commons for students and community members alike, the library will function as an important hub for connection between faculty, students, staff and community. Classrooms supporting active and experiential learning occupy the second floor.