Royal Roads University received a gift consisting of two acreages on Salt Spring Island, valued at over $9.9 million, making it the largest donation in the universities history.
The contribution came from the Bloom Canadian Alter Ego Trust 2020 and the estate of the late Susan Bagley Bloom, an environmental philanthropist, conservationist, and long-time resident of Salt Spring Island.
“We are extremely grateful for the pristine natural lands from the Bloom gift, which will serve as a dynamic space for local and global change-makers, artists, scholars, and writers-in-residence, enhancing learning and research opportunities through Salt Spring Island's unique landscape and natural beauty,” said Philip Steenkamp, president of Royal Roads University, in a news release. “Royal Roads will benefit from this gift as it enhances the student and faculty experience, expands academic opportunities, and fosters deeper relationships within the educational community.”
The properties includes waterfront gardens, an orchard of fruit trees, outbuildings and a foreshore lease. The gift also includes just over $5.2 million in funds for ongoing maintenance and immediate improvement of the lands.
Trustees said Bloom, who died in 2021, was a longtime supporter of conservation efforts and humanitarian projects across the world, oftentimes working behind the scenes, and "she derived joy from gifts that made a true difference to the lives of so many," according to Jan Theunisz, a longtime friend and trustee.
"She was genuinely committed and cared deeply for the causes she supported," said Theunisz. "She would be delighted by Royal Roads, taking the reins and expanding on her original vision, I know she would be proud of the work that we have done and shares in celebrating with us all."
Theunisz explained Blooms years of philanthropy, which she kept mostly private, mentioning her buying Clayoquot Island to preserve "the subdivided land from developers," and in 2020, she gifted the island to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. She also mentioned Bloom's work in Sierra Leone, building hospitals and nursing schools during the decade of civil conflict in the West African nation.
The university says they will work with the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust and Salt Spring Island Conservancy to steward and care for the lands. They will also work with the Hul’qumi’num and SENĆOŦEN peoples to "ensure their interests in the lands are recognized and valued."
With the new properties, the university, along with their partners, plan to develop programming aimed at regenerative sustainability, which they say will be a "benchmark" for community-involved stewardship, improving food security, addressing climate change, and safeguarding Salt Spring Island farming traditions.
