Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

By Jill Sperling

2020 Training House

2020 Training House marks 30th year of partnership between TRU and Canadian Home Builders’ Association

Aug 14, 2019 | 4:28 PM

KAMLOOPS — The 2020 Training House is under construction.

The two-storey home in Orchard’s Walk will later become the YMCA-YWCA Dream Home. The Dream Home Lottery is the biggest fundraiser for local YMCA programs.

The Training House is a partnership between the YMCA, the Canadian Home Builders’ Association and Thompson Rivers University.

It’s a partnership that is celebrating a big milestone this year.

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For 30 years, the CHBA and TRU’s School of Trades and Technology have engaged in an educational opportunity for carpentry students.

“That’s been quite a connection there and obviously very successful year after year,” said Jere Lorenz, vice-president of CHBA Central Interior and vice-president of operations for Orchard’s Walk Developments.

Since 1990, students have been gaining experience by building a house from the ground up.

“Just having that real-world experience,” said carpentry instructor Bryce Coombs, “the hands-on to build something that’s workable, because if you do something in shop or in a controlled environment, when they leave the pre-apprentice program they don’t have maybe as much hands-on experience as what the industry would want.”

This year, 16 students are working on the Training House, which is set to later become the 2020 Y Dream Home.

“The people that are involved in this are the ones that make this happen,” said Colin Reid, CEO of the Kamloops YMCA. “Without the contribution of the Home Builders and TRU and all the suppliers, this house would not come out of the ground. And, it’s an absolutely fabulous thing, and I think time and time again we know what makes the difference is the people of Kamloops.”

The Training House is taking shape in the relatively new community of Orchard’s Walk in Valleyview.

The finished house will be two storeys high with modern finishes and technology.

“In total it’s 3,002 square feet on three floors finished; we’re developing the basement,” Lorenz said. “It’s 1,978 square feet on the two floors and then 1,024 in the basement. So, it will be a totally finished three floor house. It’s going to be pretty exciting. Being the 30th year they’re going to be adding some nice features in there.”

The training house is expected to be transferred over to the YMCA in April to become the grand prize in the Y Dream Home Lottery.