Media Releases
A Toronto architectural gem officially re-opens as the Goldring Student Centre
September 18, 2013
TORONTO, ON – Victoria University, in the University of Toronto, celebrates the official opening of the Goldring Student Centre on September 25 at 6 p.m. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and formal remarks will begin at 6:15 p.m., followed by a reception and informal tours.
Named in honour of Victoria College graduates and siblings Blake C. Goldring and Judy G. Goldring, the Goldring Student Centre doubles the space of the former Wymilwood student union building to 40,000 square feet. Recognizing the importance of a welcoming space for socializing and learning beyond the classroom, the Goldrings contributed $4 million to help launch the renovation and construction to create a space in which Vic students can thrive. Victoria College students committed $7 million and alumni have contributed almost $9 million to this important project.
Toronto-based architectural firm Moriyama and Teshima preserved many of the iconic heritage features of Wymilwood within the new Goldring Student Centre. Wymilwood, built in 1952, is a historically listed building. It is a rare example of a building designed by notable architect and former dean of architecture Eric Arthur. Arthur was one of the first to teach the Modern movement in Canada. He is also known for encouraging the preservation movement of the 1960s and 1970s with his book Toronto, No Mean City.
According to current Vic student, Nirusha Shanmuganathan, “Before the Goldring Student Centre, student clubs and groups were spread out all over campus. Now that we are all sharing a space, we feel like a stronger community. We are forming a critical mass that is bound to increase student engagement.” Students are thrilled to be using the new space as it provides a real incentive to stay on campus to work and socialize.
The Goldring Student Centre provides a much-needed space for student activity on the Vic campus, with space for meeting rooms, offices for student government and more than 20 student clubs, a renovated café, a two-storey lounge, an assembly space and the addition of lockers for commuter students. It will give students, especially those who don’t live on campus, the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities, join a student club, socialize with friends, and engage in all the activities that make for a well-rounded student experience.
Who: Dr. Wendy M. Cecil, chancellor of Victoria University; Prof. Paul W. Gooch, president of Victoria University; Prof. David Naylor, president, University of Toronto; Blake Goldring and Judy Goldring
When: Wednesday, September 25, 2013 at 6 p.m.
Where: 150 Charles Street West, Toronto
Victoria University, founded in 1836 as Upper Canada Academy in Cobourg, Ont., federated with the University of Toronto in 1890. It comprises Victoria College, an arts and science college of the University of Toronto, and Emmanuel College, a theological college of the United Church of Canada. As one of the oldest universities in Canada, Victoria has earned a distinguished reputation for excellence and creativity. It has graduated more than 40,000 students and counts among its alumni some of the country’s most recognized innovators, artists, academics and political leaders: literary critic and scholar Northrop Frye, Nobel laureate and prime minister Lester B. Pearson, pioneering doctor Augusta Stowe-Gullen, Nobel laureate and co-inventor of the laser Arthur Schawlow, authors Margaret Atwood, John Bemrose, David Gilmour and Elizabeth Hay, artist Robert Bateman, poet Dennis Lee, actor Donald Sutherland, the Honourable Bill Blaikie, former ambassador Kenneth Taylor and filmmaker Norman Jewison.
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For information, please contact:
Jennifer Little
Office of Alumni Affairs and University Advancement
Victoria University
Tel: 416.585.4489
jennifer.little@utoronto.ca