SUDBURY—Laurentian University officially opened the new Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre located centrally on the Sudbury campus. The official opening ceremonies took place on Wednesday, June 21 at the new centre and it was standing room only. The opening was a nice cap to the nine-year Laurentian University board of governors member Dominic Beaudry’s service on the board.
“It was a great event,” said Mr. Beaudry. “It was so well attended that there was standing room only. Actually, there were about 50 to 70 people who had to stand outside because there wasn’t enough room inside at the ceremonies.” That’s saying a lot, since the main meeting hall can easily accommodate up to 200 seated people.
“All the politicians were there for the opening, including Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger,” said Mr. Beaudry. “It was pretty packed.”
Unlike some efforts in the past, the new centre is not tucked away, hidden on a remote part of the campus, but is rather front and centre where it will play an intimate role in university life. “It’s not on the margins,” he said. “It is a powerful statement. Incoming and new students will see the centre and know that indigenous people are a vibrant part of the university.”
Mr. Beaudry said that the centre is a concrete expression of the university’s commitment to the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “I have seen a lot of positive changes during my tenure on the board of Laurentian University,” he said. “It is good to see things actually happening in response to the TRC commission’s report and that it is not just simply sitting on a shelf.”
On the national level, he noted that the prime minister had approached the Pope to seek an apology from the Catholic Church for the role it played in the residential school system. “He was asked to get an apology by June 17,” he said. “He did try to make that happen.”
The opening of the new Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre on National Aboriginal Day (soon to be universally known more appropriately as National Indigenous Day) was fitting.
Shelly Moore Frappier is the first director of the centre and acted as master of ceremonies for the opening ceremonies. Ms. Moore Frappier gave homage to those past and present who made the centre a reality. “We stand on the shoulders of giants,” she said.
The afternoon proceeded with culturally appropriate ceremonies, including drum songs and an elder’s prayer.
Mr. Beaudry had high praise for outgoing Laurentian University president Dominic Giroux, whose tenure was largely concurrent with his own. For both gentlemen the opening of the centre ranked among their last official duties. Mr. Giroux is moving on to head Health Sciences North. “He has overseen a lot of positive changes at the university and I was honoured to be able to be a
part of making those things happen through the board,” he said.
The Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre is comprised of a large round room, “a huge beautiful room” said Mr. Beaudry. “There are many wooden accents and there are potted lights in the ceiling that are like stars in the night sky.” Off to the side is a hallway leading to several study rooms, a small computer lab and a kitchen. “Like a home away from home for the students,” he said.
A live stream of the opening can be viewed at videostream.laurentian.ca
/Mediasite/Play/ac158a67
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