TRU takes gold for Dream Home project at Okanagan home builders’ awards

TRU Trades and Technology and the local chapter of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association have once again been recognized for their training house project, taking gold at the Central Okanagan’s Tommie Awards over the weekend.

The organizations were awarded top honours for Excellence in Public or Private Partnership for the 2017 training house in Juniper.

TRU Trades and Technology and CHBA Central Interior partner every year to build the training house, which is then sold to the Kamloops YMCA-YWCA for its annual Dream Home Lottery and raffled off as the grand prize for one very lucky winner.

CHBA-CI members donate their time and supplies to building the training house, which sees students from TRU’s School of Trades and Technology gain real-world experience.

The project has been recognized several times with industry awards. The Tommie for Excellence in Public or Private Partnership goes to organizations that are demonstrating “leadership in fostering cooperation between public and private sectors in addressing affordable housing and/or community building projects.”

The 2017 Dream Home was a 4,000-square-foot, three-storey house valued at $724,800 on Kicking Horse Drive in Juniper Ridge.

“We are thrilled that our training house project, a long time partnership with Thompson Rivers University School of Trades and Technology, continues to be recognized as a unique initiative,” said CHBA-CI president Rob Lemire.

“The fact that our training house project does well every year is especially gratifying.”

The Tommies were given out on Saturday night at the Delta Grand Okanagan Hotel and Conference Centre in Kelowna.

Thompson Rivers University is also nominated for Best Public/Private Partnership for the training house at the Keystone Awards, which will be given out at the gala in Kamloops on Feb. 3 at the TRU Grand Hall.

See more photos of the 2017 Dream Home here.