To the editor:
A little history first. Back in the early 1990s, I was director of development at Okanagan College. It became Okanagan University College around that time. I was involved in raising some of the money needed to build the gymnasium on the new Okanagan University College near the airport.
In 2004, then-UBC president Martha Piper, appointed me executive director of development. I was asked to put in place the development office at UBC Okanagan when the split was made, creating the two current institutions, UBCO and OC. Both have made a major impact on this area of the province. Okanagan College is probably one of the finest institutions in Canada.
However when the split was made, the gymnasium became part of the university and the college was left without one on its Kelowna campus. The college is now involved with basketball but they have no facility to play games in, forcing them to rent space whereever they can find it.
There is a need on the college campus for a building that would help with the quality of life for the students. It need not be just a gymnasium as a building could be built that would be used for other activities. A new building would allow the college to develop an intramural program for sports like basketball, volleyball, floor hockey etc.
The university has its gymnasium, it is now time for the college to have one too.
Terry Flannigan, former director of development at OC, OUC and UBCO
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