Edmonton’s NorQuest College received a $2-million gift on Tuesday from the Edmonton Civic Employees Charitable Assistance Fund (ECECAF).
ECECAF said the donation is the largest gift in the organization’s 77-year history. The charitable assistance fund was founded in 1941 and consists of more than 11,000 members of nine unions and associations.
“This is a significant gift for us,” NorQuest president and CEO Jodi Abbott said. “This incredibly generous gift will allow us to better prepare our learners for tomorrow’s workforce needs.”
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The donation will go toward the renovation of NorQuest College’s Heritage Tower downtown.
“In this new renovated space, what we will have is multiple classrooms, laboratories, as well as an innovation studio,” Abbott explained.
“The innovation studio is really needed. It’s going to allow us to work directly with industry on things like social enterprises — how do we improve the efficiency, the ability for immigrants to get involved in entrepreneurship. So it really is a mix-and-mingle innovation studio.”
Because of the donation, the tower will be renamed the Civic Employees Legacy Tower.
“This is an incredible honour,” ECECAF board chair Brenda Waluk said. “On behalf of all of our members, we would like to say how proud we are to be part of the spirited and vibrant growth of NorQuest College. Our members are very committed to making a difference in this community. This is a legacy that will live on for many generations.”
Since 2013, NorQuest College’s student population has grown by 72 per cent. There are currently more than 17,000 students enrolled at the college.
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