/R E P E A T -- Calgary Counselling Centre education program to become the
Haskayne Learning Centre on Sept. 14, 2009/

CALGARY , Sept. 11 /CNW/ - On Monday, Sept. 14, 2009 , at a special ceremony starting at 10:30 a.m. , Calgary Counselling Centre's education program will become the Haskayne Learning Centre for Graduate and Post-graduate Counselling Studies at Calgary Counselling Centre. Lois Haskayne will speak at the formal inauguration of the Haskayne Learning Centre and will make a special announcement.

"Our interest is in supporting the development of future practitioners," says Lois. "Educating counsellors in a rich learning environment ensures the ongoing health of our community. The impact of Calgary Counselling Centre is phenomenal. There are people in Calgary who literally owe their lives to a visit at the Centre."

The Haskaynes' various accomplishments have been widely recognized and acknowledged. Lois, a former school teacher and her husband Richard (Dick), an officer of the Order of Canada , have played an important role in Calgary's business landscape. Their continued personal commitment to Calgary Counselling Centre started with Lois' decade on the Centre's board of directors, from 1992 to 2001.

"Dick and Lois Haskayne's personal and humble commitment to give back to the community - that has given them so much - means they have given time, money and even land to make a difference," says Robbie Babins-Wagner, CEO, Calgary Counselling Centre. "The Haskayne Learning Centre will be an ongoing legacy providing future counselling practitioners with exceptional training opportunities. This will continue to ensure the students we train are immediately employable and can make an instant impact post-graduation."

"Having the program named after the Haskaynes will create a heightened profile for the quality of counselling education provided at the Centre. Allowing us to use their good name - the prominence and credibility associated with the name change - gives us support to expand our program, increase the number of universities we draw on and help us continue the legacy of training future counsellors. This is a gift we are honoured to steward."

Training counsellors since its inception in 1962, Calgary Counselling Centre is recognized as a national leader for professional training for therapists and is Western Canada's largest teaching institution. The Centre was first formally recognized as an accredited training centre by the Canadian Association of Pastoral Education in 1990 and has since been recognized provincially and federally as a private educational institution training graduate and post-graduate students in the fields of psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, and pastoral counselling. The 75 - 100 graduates from the new Haskayne Learning Centre each year will go on to practice in hundreds of communities throughout North America .

For further information: Kathleen Bell, BA ABC Communications Officer, Calgary Counselling Centre, (c) [phone], (p) [phone] or (e) [email protected]