The new Royal Roads University (RRU), John Horgan Campus is open, offering innovative post-secondary options in downtown Langford. The building is named after the former B.C. premier who died in 2024.

“Education opens the door to opportunity,” said Premier David Eby. “This new campus provides a doorway to future prosperity for people, for their families and for their community. It is a great tribute to John’s memory that this campus carries his name, as education opened a world of possibilities for him.”

The campus is a first-of-its-kind partnership between RRU, the University of Victoria, Camosun College, the Justice Institute of BC and the Sooke School District.

“John from Langford always said education was the great equalizer,” said Minister of Infrastructure Bowinn Ma. “Westshore students will be well-served for generations to come with the new John Horgan Campus, where they can pursue higher learning closer to home.”

This post-secondary building will offer study options in a variety of program areas, including paramedic and health-care assistant training and early childhood learning. For students interested in pursuing undergraduate degrees, RRU is offering flexible study options in the areas of business and sustainability, social sciences and applied environmental studies.

“We are thrilled to open the RRU Langford, John Horgan Campus,” said Philip Steenkamp, president of RRU. “Students walking through these doors will expand their knowledge, explore new possibilities and gain the skills they need to thrive in an ever-changing world. And best of all, they can do it all in the heart of the Westshore.”

The five-storey building was designed to meet the needs of today’s students. It includes flexible classrooms and study spaces, as well as:

• an Indigenous centre, a designated space for Indigenous students to gather, cook and connect; and
• the Westshore innovation and startup hub, a space to host mentorship opportunities for students and hold events for the community to foster local entrepreneurship and innovation.

Built with sustainability at the forefront, the building achieved a LEED gold certification and zero-carbon building designation. Some of the sustainability measures include the use of B.C. mass timber, low-carbon concrete, maximized rainwater filtration and native vegetation in the landscaping to reduce irrigation demands.