STUDENTS at Capilano University (CapU) now have access to more housing options with the opening of the first on-campus student housing building at the university’s North Vancouver campus.
“For many post-secondary students, having a place to live on campus can make all the difference,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure, on Monday. “This new student housing at Capilano University will give students a supportive place to live, study and build community, while making it easier for them to access the education and opportunities they came here to pursue.”
The new six-storey student housing building named Treehouse (Lam̓íwa/θqétəw̓txʷ) reflects a shared vision of “a home in the woods.” Lam̓íwa and θqétəw̓txʷ, which both translate to “Treehouse,” were provided by the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and the səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), respectively.
The building will primarily serve first- and second-year students, helping ease the transition to university life and foster a strong sense of community and belonging.
The new student housing building provides 362 on-campus homes for students on the North Shore, helping them focus on their studies while easing pressure on the local rental housing market. The building includes:
* a mix of single- and double-occupancy rooms
* 12 accessible units
* shared laundry, washrooms, study, lounge and kitchen spaces on each floor
* a First Nations-focused reflection and gathering space, café, bike storage, multipurpose room and student support spaces on the ground floor
“After two years of commuting three hours a day, moving into housing changed my university experience,” said Manroop Kaur, a CapU student. “Treehouse means more students can have that same opportunity right on campus – closer to class, closer to community and better able to succeed. It’s not just a place to live, it’s a place where you belong.”
A 250-seat, mass-timber dining hall connected to the student housing building will provide meal service to students living on campus, as well as faculty, staff and commuter students. The dining space will support student life and create additional opportunities for students to connect and build community on campus.
“Home is more than a place. It’s where dreams take root, resilience grows and futures begin,” said Jason Dewling, president, Capilano University. “With the opening of Treehouse, the first on-campus student housing building at Capilano University’s North Vancouver campus, we thank the Province for helping us create a campus community where students have safe, affordable housing and a space to learn and thrive.”
Since 2017, the Province says it has committed more than $4 billion in post-secondary education infrastructure:
* $2 billion for student housing, creating nearly 7,300 new student spaces across the province that are complete, with thousands more underway
* more than $2 billion for other post-secondary campus infrastructure, including new campuses and specialty buildings
* these investments include $58.2 million shared between the Province and Capilano University for the new student housing building and dining hall: $41.5 million from the Province and $16.7 million from Capilano University
Jessie Sunner, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, said: “Safe, affordable, and convenient student housing is not just a place to live. It connects students with supports, services and their campus community, building a foundation for their academic success. By expanding on-campus housing at Capilano University, students at the North Vancouver campus will have access to a stable, supportive environment that allows them to focus on what matters most, their studies.”
Susie Chant, MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour, said: “Students deserve access to safe, affordable housing that allows them to focus on learning and building their future. The opening of Capilano University’s first on-campus student housing is an important milestone for North Vancouver and the North Shore. These new student homes will help more students live closer to campus, strengthen their connection to the university community, and ease pressure on the local rental market.”
