Gaglardi family’s $10 million gift the largest in TRU history

KAMLOOPS — It was a historic day at Thompson Rivers University, as the institution unveiled its largest-ever donation.

The Gaglardi family is giving $10 million towards the Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics.

“As the university continues to grow, it just became obvious there was this opportunity and the need for the school building, the physical building where the school can be housed,” said Bob’s daughter Andrea Gaglardi. “At the moment, it is in a number of different buildings and it shares space. This will just allow them with enrolment and consolidate the faculty.”

That’s now $25 million in donations by the Gaglardi family in the next few months. In November, Gaglardis promised $15 million to Royal Inland Hospital for the new Phil and Jennie Gaglardi Tower.

The hospital meant a lot to the Gaglardi family with Phil and Jennie spending time there as ministers. The family feels Thompson Rivers University is another pillar in the community that is worth supporting.

“What TRU had meant to us is their focus on community, their focus on inclusiveness,” said Andrea. “It’s very much an international school, it’s very much a school of people coming from all over the place — something we really appreciated.”

For the university, the largest-ever donation not only allows TRU to work towards a new business and economics building, it also brings more credibility with Bob Gaglardi’s name on it.

“Just his self-made path as an entrepreneur, the lessons he learned along the way that he’s been sharing with our students, and people know that he’s successful and humble and really believes in the community and giving back,” said TRU President Brett Fairbairn.

There is no timeline on when construction could start and when the new school will open, but TRU says the project needs up to $50 million more from the province and private donors (about $10 million from private donors) to come to fruition.

The Dean of the School of Business & Economics Mike Henry says the new school will involve hands-on learning to provide students with the business experience they need.

“The key to this building is really going to be is we’re going to put a lot of energy and emphasis on experiential education, so there will be an expanded finance lab where students can actually work with the same software that is used industry. There will be other kinds of learning spaces and hands-on learning, so when our students graduate they not only know about business, they know how to business.”

The students on hand for the announcement will have long graduated by the time the new school is built, but they understand how important it will be.

“The first that comes to my mind is the collaborative space that we’re going to get,” said TRU business student Sahil Madan. “Getting everybody under one roof for the School of Business is going to be great. Right now, we’re scattered into different buildings. It’s much better when we meet [together]. It’s good networking.”

TRU hopes to have businesses on the first floor of the new school, allowing for partnerships and future employment opportunities for the students.