Tom Wayman, a Winlaw resident and former instructor at the David Thompson University Centre (DTUC) in Nelson, BC, is looking to reconnect with former staff and students.

Wayman, who worked at the now-defunct centre as a writing instructor, told KCR News that the 2023 reunion for students and staff has been in the works for some time, but that the group is hoping to see as many pre-registered as possible.

"For me, personally, it is a way of celebrating those successes, and keeping an eye on what might develop yet," Wayman said.

According to Wayman, the centre was an important part of the region's educational landscape, particularly for its experimental approach and openness around the curriculums. 

DTUC was a consortium of the University of Victoria (UVic) and Selkirk College. It was established in 1979 on the premises of Notre Dame University of Nelson following NDU’s closure in 1977 and was originally designed to provide access to university-level courses for people living in the West Kootenay region. DTUC students could obtain a UVic BA degree, and the institution incorporated Nelson’s former Kootenay School of Art, which became DTUC’s fine arts department. Instruction was available in a wide range of subjects, including photography, creative writing, and rural teacher education.

After a B.C. government assessment committee in fall 1983 approved the continuation of the province’s only “university centre,” the government reversed course following the collapse of the November 1983 public sector general strike, which had been widely supported in the West Kootenay.

DTUC was ordered to close May 1, 1984.

"It's a risk worth taking"–David Thompson University Centre ex-prof on feeling old at school reunions: