Presenting the new Haskayne Learning Centre for Graduate and Post-graduate Counselling Studies at Calgary Counselling Centre

On Monday, Sept. 14, 2009, Calgary Counselling Centre's education faculty will become the new Haskayne Learning Centre for Graduate and Post-graduate Counselling Studies at Calgary Counselling Centre, honouring Richard and Lois Haskayne's long time commitment and generosity to Calgary Counselling Centre.

Imagine the anticipation – a new opportunity and venture. For the new graduate and post-graduate level students starting this fall at Calgary Counselling Centre, there will be the same sense of anticipation as starting at a new job. But what the students don’t know, is they will be the first graduating class from the new Haskayne Learning Centre. On Monday, Sept. 14, 2009, at a special ceremony, the Centre’s education faculty will become the Haskayne Learning Centre for Graduate and Post-graduate Counselling Studies at Calgary Counselling Centre.

The Haskaynes’ various accomplishments have been widely recognized and acknowledged. Lois, a former school teacher and her husband Richard (Dick), an officer of the Order of Canada, have played an important role in Calgary’s business landscape. Their personal and humble commitment to give back to the community that has given them so much means they have given time, money and even land to make a difference.

Dick and Lois Haskayne’s personal commitment to Calgary Counselling Centre goes back to Lois’ decade on the Calgary Counselling Centre board of directors, from 1992 to 2001. During that time, Lois saw tremendous change at the Centre – including the move to our present location on 6th Avenue and our name change in 1997 from the Pastoral Institute to Calgary Counselling Centre.

“The impact of Calgary Counselling Centre in our community is phenomenal,” says Lois. “There are people in Calgary who literally owe their lives to a visit at the Centre.”

The Haskaynes have been long-term donors to the Centre and have given generously to many specific projects, including a capital campaign in 2005 to create additional counselling rooms. Annually, their generosity makes them one of our major donors. Lois Haskayne will speak at the formal inauguration of the Haskayne Learning Centre and will make a special announcement on behalf of herself and Dick.

Education and learning is important to the Haskaynes and naming the Centre’s education faculty in their honour is close to their hearts. The Haskayne Learning Centre will be an ongoing legacy providing future counselling practitioners with exceptional training opportunities. This will ensure the students we train are immediately employable and can make an instant impact post-graduation.

“Having the faculty named after the Haskaynes will create a heightened profile for the quality of counselling training provided at Calgary Counselling Centre,” says Linna Morgan, Director of Fund Development at Calgary Counselling Centre. “Allowing us to use their good name - the prominence and credibility associated with the name change - gives us support to expand our program, increase the number of universities we draw on and help us continue the legacy of training future counsellors. This is a gift we are honoured to steward.”

Calgary Counselling Centre is recognized as a national leader for professional training in the fields of psychology, social work, and marriage and family therapy. Graduate and post-graduate students come to the Centre from 14 universities and we expect to draw from more schools in the coming years. The training program is the largest in Western Canada and the 75 – 100 students who enroll in the new Haskayne Learning Centre each year will go on to practice in hundreds of communities throughout North America.

Sept. 14, 2009 will mark a day of celebration, a day of recognition and a day of formal transition for Calgary Counselling Centre’s education faculty to the Haskayne Learning Centre.

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