Construction underway on the 35th TRU Training Home in Westsyde

KAMLOOPS — The 35th edition of the TRU Training Home is underway in Westsyde, as community groups gathered on Tuesday (Aug. 27) for a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

Students from Thompson Rivers University’s trades program, along with several Grade 12 students from across the district have joined to together to construct the nearly 24,000-square-foot home on Sage Drive that will feature three bedrooms and three bathrooms.

With 17 students taking part this year, it’s a positive sign for the industry.

“Skilled trades — [there’s] a shortage in the workforce locally and throughout the province and programs like this kind of help to get people off the ground and into trades and kind of break the ice a bit,” said Canadian Home Builders’ Association Central Interior incoming president Chris Crowell. “It’s too bad that there aren’t more programs like this because each student who comes out of it afterward is always super thankful for the opportunity and, I think, realizes a big benefit from it.”

While the training home has been built every year for the past 35 years, the Kamloops Y has been a part of the program now for 30 years, turning the training home into the Y Dream Home. The fundraiser has become the organization’s bread and butter, helping ensure the lights stay on and programs run across the city.

“Assuming we get a license next year — which you have to apply for — this is the critical fundraiser for the Kamloops Y region, absolutely,” said Kamloops Y Vice-President Colin Reid. “And 95 per cent of the ticket buyers, on average, come from the greater Kamloops region, so that is a reflection of how much this project is woven into the community fabric here in Kamloops.”

In addition to the carpentry students, TRU trades programs including HVAC, electrical and plumbing will also help complete the project, allowing students to get hands-on experience in the process.