$250K donation supports building of Japanese Teahouse in RRU Gardens

A $250,000 donation from Royal Roads University alum Eve Martin and her spouse Paul brings the university significantly closer to its fundraising goal to realize a teahouse within its 100-year-old Japanese gardens. The teahouse will offer a space for formal tea ceremonies and celebrate Japanese culture and tradition. It is currently under construction and slated to open in Fall 2024.

“I have many fond memories of the Japanese garden during my studies,” Martin says. “It was a calm, peaceful place that brought much needed space for reflection in the maelstrom of assignments, presentations and exams.”

Through this donation, Martin, a graduate of the Master of Arts in Leadership and Training program, celebrates the importance of nature, recognizing how contemplative spaces offer health benefits as well as rich learning environments. This donation will help ensure the garden Eve loved during her studies will continue to be a sanctuary for future students to enjoy. 

“We’re very fortunate at Royal Roads that our place of learning is not limited to our classrooms,” says Philip Steenkamp, president and vice-chancellor of Royal Roads. “Eve and Paul’s generosity helps us to provide a place where visitors can immerse themselves in nature, ceremony and Japanese culture. We are deeply grateful for their support.”

Once all funds required for the project are raised, the new teahouse will provide a unique venue on campus where tea ceremonies and special gatherings can occur, offering students and community members an immersive educational experience in Japanese culture, history and tradition. It is the first of several phases to revitalize the Japanese Gardens that see more than 50,000 visitors annually. 

The Martins’ generosity will positively impact the campus and extend to other communities as students take their learning here and apply it around the world.

This gift, which marks one of the first to be announced towards the university’s most ambitious fundraising campaign—Leading with Courage—will join others to harness the power of local and global communities to find solutions and connections that transform lives and the world. 

To learn more, or to join the Martins in their journey to support the Japanese Gardens and Teahouse, please visit: https://rruinbloom.ca/.