UFV Indo Canadian Studies..

UCFV's status rises with proposed centre
By Ken Herar:
A couple weeks ago some 400 people at the Ramada Inn celebrated and supported the proposed Indo-Canadian Studies and Research Centre that will be located at the Abbotsford campus of the University College of the Fraser Valley (UCFV). As a former student of UCFV, I believe this endeavour will have a favourable impact on the area and raise the stature of the educational institution to new heights across the country. The centre will be the first of its kind in North America and will benefit students from all nationalities. The evening gala raised more than $110,000, bringing the total raised to $894,159. In terms of funding, the centre is well on its way of reaching its goal of $3 million and may surpass it. It was nice to see so many supporters from Vancouver at the gala and offer their support for the landmark project. The evening started with many thunderous speeches supporting the centre, setting the tempo for the evening. Guests were upbeat and in a generous mood right from the start. Fraser Valley residents are playing a defining role for future UCFV students to learn about Canadian history from a different perspective. Through this project UCFV is becoming a leader and reflecting the real diversity that exists in our communities and country. I hope students from all parts of the Lower Mainland come and visit the new centre when its door open. I am very proud of the gala's outcome. The Indo-Canadian community has been active in the area for more than a century, and the centre will be home for many amazing stories. The centre will go a long way to teaching others about history, language and culture to create better understanding. Indo-Canadian courses are currently being offered and several more are being developed at UCFV. I would like to express my gratitude to UCFV officials for allowing my family to be a part of this process in the last few months. It has been a positive learning experience. Parm and Satwinder Bains and Paul and Pree Wadhawan deserve a big round of applause for originating this idea and their commitment to see this project go through. I'm glad I attended the high-energy and elegant fund-raising gala which reflected on the past, but looked to a bright future.
KenHerar@gmail.com