The Pacific Sport Institute (',PSI) at Camosun College received another $300,000 donation from Hudson’s Bay Company (',Hbc) today, marking its second contribution toward the facility’s capital campaign.

By the time the unique sport and education facility in Victoria, BC is completed in Fall 2008, the national corporate sponsor will have contributed several of its seven installments that will total $2 million by 2012. The facility is a partnership initiative of PacificSport, PacificSport Victoria and Camosun College

 “As the first major corporate partner for the Pacific Sport Institute Hbc continues its leadership in Canadian sport by providing, beyond its tremendous commitment to the PSI, direct funding to athletes and Canadian Sport Centres,” said Roger Skillings, CEO of PacificSport.

 Hbc is the official clothing and luggage supplier for the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams for the 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Their commitment includes raising $20 million over the next seven years to fund Canada’s athletes, their national training centres and sport organizations. Today’s donation is part of this multi-year commitment.

 “We're proud to be a part of our Canadian athletes' success on the world stage,” said Diane Gordon, Director, Hbc Community Investment. “This donation is one of several that directly impacts their training and their ability to compete - so that they can continue to make our country proud."

 The 75,000 square foot Institute is an expert-driven, world-class facility designed to bring excellence in sport and exercise academic programs, community sport and fitness programs, high performance athlete services and applied sport research together under one roof.

 The full $38 million facility will house classrooms, sport research and sport medicine services, a triple gymnasium, a lit all-weather playing field, an outdoor training track and a high performance fitness centre.

 Phase I of the Institute opens to the public in September 2008. Phase II includes additional classrooms, the third gymnasium to allow national and international-level competition, more fitness and health assessment equipment and an outdoor four-lane training track.

 “Hbc was the impetus to get the PSI capital campaign rolling and their investment will help to position Canada as an international leader in the area of sport development and wellness,” said Dr. Liz Ashton, President of Camosun College. "While we have received $27.75 million in funding from the Province of British Columbia, Hbc, Thrifty Foods and other generous donors to complete Phase I, we continue to seek Federal Government support and are underway with a capital campaign to complete Phase II." 

 The capital campaign is co-chaired nationally by George Heller, senior board member of Hbc and locally by Owen Matthews, vice chairman of the board of directors for CounterPath Solutions Inc. Having raised $3.5 million to date, the campaign is 42 per cent of the way to completing its original $8.4 million goal.

As the Canadian Sport Centre in the Pacific region, PacificSport delivers sport performance programs to help athletes and coaches win medals for Canada.  Working in support of Canada’s national, provincial and regional sport partners it is creating a stronger system for the development of athletes, coaches and performance enhancement teams, driving the development of sport performance facilities.

Camosun College is one of the largest comprehensive educational institutions in British Columbia serving more than 18,000 full and part-time learners from two campuses. Its over 80 different program offerings lead to applied degrees, associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in fields such as business, health and human services, arts, sciences, computer and engineering technologies, apprenticeship and entry level trades training and sport and exercise education. Camosun also offers over 300 university transfer courses in the arts and sciences and an applied degree program in Business Administration - Accounting. In addition, Camosun provides a wide range of adult upgrading and college preparatory programming and hundreds of continuing education courses each year.

-30-

www.pacificsportinstitute.ca

www.pacificsport.com

www.camosun.ca

For more information:

Joanna Fox

PacificSport

250-744-5537 - office

250-882-5426 - cell

jfox@pacificsport.ca

Susan Haddon
Director, College & Community Relations
(',250) 370-4231 - office
(',250) 588-9298 - cell
haddon@camosun.bc.ca

Patricia Pytel
Hbc Public Relations
Phone: 416-216-7375
Fax: 416-861-6377
patricia.pytel@hbc.com
www.hbc.com