VICTORIA, BC. The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific’s campaign to build a new facility for education and meeting space has received a boost with a $25,000 donation from the Gwyn Morgan and Patricia Trottier Foundation and $10,000 from the Victoria Airport Authority.

HCP has raised $860,000 toward the goal of $2 million to build a facility for horticulture education and community events on their 103 acre site in Saanich. “We have been grateful for the community support since launching the campaign in June” said executive director Roger Charles. The fundraising committee is chaired by Clive Tanner and includes Gordon Denford, Brian Russell, Rod Couvelier, Roger Wheelock, Jan Hemming, Paul McKivett, Sue Wright, Bob Hunter and Kari Frazer.

The donation from the Victoria Airport Authority was made in honour of the late Mel Couvelier, namesake of the new facility. “Mel sat on both the Airport Authority Board and the Horticulture Centre Board and so the donation was very poignant” said Charles. Couvelier was one of the original founders of the Horticulture Centre (HCP) in 1979 when he was the mayor of Saanich.

Until his passing in May, Couvelier had been working at helping establish an education and event centre at HCP. “We are proud to name the new Pavilion after a man who had such dedication and perseverance,” says President of the Board and former Canadian Ambassador Simon Wade. “We anticipate putting shovel in the ground this April to complete the building construction in 2012.”

The $2 million facility replaces a glasshouse that burned down last February and forced HCP to fundraise for a new facility. “The glasshouse was only ever meant to be a temporary facility decades ago and without proper heat, air conditioning or toilets it was inadequate for our needs anyway” says Charles.

HCP is a charitable non-profit that was established 32 years ago with the vision of being a world class centre for horticulture education.

The Couvelier Pavilion is designed by architect Christine Lintott who also designed the math and science building at the University of Victoria. The design calls for locally sourced timbers and stone work as well as proliferation of glass. “The design blurs the distinction between indoors and outdoors” said Lintott.

To make a donation or pledge, phone at 250-479-6162 or email campaign@hcp.ca. For more information about the Campaign and HCP go to www.hcp.ca.

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For more information contact:

Roger Charles
Executive Director
director@hcp.ca
250-479-6162