The tiwšɛmawtxʷ campus in Powell River serves the qathet region with a unique programming mix that reflects the needs of the region.
History of the tiwšɛmawtxʷ campus
In 1974 Malaspina College took responsibility for continuing education classes that had been run by the Powell River school district. The classes were in the evenings downtown in a small white storefront on Marine Avenue.
The college received funding to run daytime Adult Basic Education classes and opened a new campus in the Centennial Building next to the museum. The new building had office space and three classrooms. Some courses were also held in local elementary schools and hotels. The Centennial Building is now gone and is the site of Putters mini golf.
In 1983 the campus moved to a space that could accommodate the growing number of students and staff. We leased the former Gordon Park Elementary school from the district. The school had 14 classrooms. Five years later we added more classrooms and a new entrance, complete with a staff room, boardroom and main office. In 2004, we bought the campus from the school district.
On September 20, 2022 the Tla’amin Nation Executive Council gifted the campus with the name tiwšɛmawtxʷ at a naming ceremony. The name means House of Learning. The gift was given in the spirit of decolonization, and we are proud to accept it as part of our ongoing commitment to truth and reconciliation.