Local Couple Invests in Higher Education
Durham Region residents Ed and Sylvia Vanhaverbeke remember the first shovels breaking ground for a new university in Oshawa. Ever since, they have been strong supporters of Ontario Tech University and are members of the university’s E.P. Taylor Legacy Society.
“Although we don’t live in Oshawa, we saw what a great asset Ontario Tech could be to the city,” says Sylvia. “Oshawa has been struggling to find itself and the university gives it a focal point and a different face, as well as a cultural boost.”
As parents of three children and grandparents to nine grandchildren, the Vanhaverbekes, who reside in Newcastle, thought it would be wonderful to have a university so close to home. Although their children did not have the option to attend university in Oshawa, Ed and Sylvia are hopeful one of their grandchildren will earn a degree at Ontario Tech.
“For a lot of people, having a university in Oshawa is the difference between going to university or not,”says Ed.
Sylvia adds, “If you’re already in the workforce and want to enhance your education, being able to go to classes at night is wonderful.”
Sylvia speaks from experience, having returned to university at age 35. After earning a bachelor’s degree, she went on to obtain a Master of Divinity, both achievements accomplished before Ontario Tech was built.
“I had to commute all the way to Toronto,” she says. “As a mother, it would have been much more convenient to be able to attend university closer to home.”
The Vanhaverbekes also see the need for a local university, simply based on demographics.
“This area is growing as fast as any other in the Greater Toronto Area,” says Ed. “There’s a real need for a university and Ontario Tech keeps expanding. Every time there’s a new building, we’re lucky enough to get a tour and it’s a pleasure to see how it has grown.”
In fact, most of the Vanhaverbekes’ recent gift to Ontario Tech will be put toward capital projects, with a portion set aside for experiential education opportunities for students in the Faculty of Business and Information Technology. In thanks, the atrium of the building housing the faculty has been named the Vanhaverbeke Family Atrium.
“One of our grandkids was impressed by that, but it’s not about our name on the wall—it’s about contributing to the university to make it a better place,” Sylvia says. “A lot of Ontario Tech students are first- or second-generation immigrants, and we’re very empathetic toward the challenges they face. Supporting both education and immigration is important to us.”
