The David Thompson University Centre (DTUC) was one of the most important education initiatives to come out of this region. Its forced closure in 1984 sparked the most widespread community protests in Nelson’s history.
The DTUC story starts with Notre Dame University (NDU), a college-turned-university that began in Nelson in 1950. It was shut down by the provincial government in 1977 due to financial difficulties but was soon reborn as the David Thompson University Centre — jointly managed by Selkirk College and the University of Victoria. The Kootenay School of Art (KSA) was incorporated into the campus in 1979, and DTUC quickly grew into a reputable fine arts school.
However, on Jan. 4, 1984, a surprise announcement came down from the provincial government, run by the Social Credit party: DTUC was to be closed on May 1 of that year due to its high costs of operation. The backlash was immediate, wide-ranging, and intense. DTUC’s closure meant the loss of approximately 100 jobs and millions of dollars circulating through the local economy, all in the middle of a nasty recession. Culturally, it meant less education opportunities for Kootenay residents; less people coming to live, study, and work here; and less training and support for local artists and artisans.
The DTUC Action Committee was formed to fight the closure, supported by approximately 250 local businesses. The Nelson branch of the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) compiled a survey showing the influence DTUC faculty and staff had on the community. Nelson City Council worked with DTUC to offer financially sustainable alternatives to closure. A delegation led by Mayor Louis Maglio travelled to the coast in February, which included Regional District of Central Kootenay officials, school board members, the Chamber of Commerce, the Nelson-Trail and District Labour Council, the mayors of Trail and Castlegar, NDP MLA Lorne Nicholson, and NDP MP Lyle Kristiansen. A couple weeks later, dozens of local residents bussed to Victoria to rally at the provincial legislature.
Words of support came from teachers’ associations, student societies, unions, politicians, and religious leaders from across the country. Countless telegrams, letters, and phone calls were sent to the provincial government, and a B.C.-wide petition received over 17,000 signatures (that’s a lot for pre-Internet days!) Several protest events received nationwide coverage by the CBC.
The protests fell on deaf ears. Once advocates realized there would be no stopping the closure, they focused on saving the DTUC Library’s collection (especially the “Kootenaiana” collection established by librarian Ron Welwood), as well as program equipment and the campus itself. On April 26, seven people entered the DTUC Library and began a peaceful occupation to ensure that the 68,400-volume collection remained intact and accessible to the community.
Supported by dozens of community members, the occupation ran for months while the City of Nelson negotiated with the province, Selkirk College, and the University of Victoria. It was eventually agreed that the program equipment and books necessary for continuing DTUC programs at Selkirk could be removed, while the rest remained on Tenth Street. The occupation officially ended on July 30 and the library was reopened several months later and maintained on a volunteer basis.
Meanwhile, approximately 400 people registered for the Kootenay Lake Summer School of the Arts (run on the DTUC campus since 1980), even without any guarantee of funding. Many instructors were so appalled by what was happening to DTUC that they donated their time and instruction, and 1984 ended up being the summer school’s largest and most successful year ever.
In the end, DTUC’s presence scattered throughout the community. The Graphic Design and Photography programs moved to Selkirk’s Castlegar campus, and Creative Woodworking went to the campus in Rosemont. The DTUC writing department continued as the Kootenay School of Writing. KSA was revived in 1991 and evolved into Kootenay Studio Arts under the umbrella of Selkirk College in 2006. The campus on Tenth Street was eventually purchased by the City of Nelson and today hosts Selkirk College. The invaluable Kootenaiana collection is now held by the Nelson Museum.
The greatest legacy of the David Thompson University Centre might not be what it offered or what it left behind, but how hard people fought for it. The values embodied by DTUC still run deep in Nelson: community support for the fine arts and an enduring commitment to quality post-secondary education, right here in the Kootenays.
Tressa Ford is archives assistant at the Nelson Museum, Archives and Gallery. History Buff appears monthly.
