Page 3 - Impact Fall 2017

Royal Roads University Advancement | Fall 2017
life-long learning
Ex-Cadet hopes his $1 million gift will inspire others to leave a legacy
One of Royal Roads University’s benefactors has a piece of advice
for those who avoid estate planning because it hints at their own mortality.
“It’s a complete relief!” says Colonel Andre Boudreau (Ret’d), 73, who is delighted to nish the 18-month project. His will includes a gift of $1 million to Royal Roads to be used in preserving the beauty and history of Hatley Castle, with a particular focus on the gardens and military artifacts.
Although Col. Boudreau attended Kingston’s Royal Military College and later completed an MBA at McGill University, he has a soft spot for Royal Roads for a surprising reason: it was here that he learned how to deal with a setback.
When the 17 year-old arrived at Royal Roads Military College (RRMC ) in the summer of ‘62 he was a con dent student who had also been the top sea cadet in the Maritimes and the chief petty of cer of his cadet corps.
He heard— but didn’t heed—the academic advisor who warned him his high school math hadn’t prepared him for college classes.
However, when he unked math and had to repeat his rst year, the experience taught him to appreciate life’s curve balls. “I learned that sometimes you have to regroup and work a little harder,” Col. Boudreau recalls with a laugh, adding that it taught him to listen to good advice. “For me, that extra year was a plus.”
Being a “repeater” in uenced his life in unexpected ways. He took a job in the library where he learned about document management. It’s a skill that would remain at the core of his career, rst as a logistics of cer, and later in the federal public service where he won the 1991 National Project Manager of the Year gold medal.
During that extra year he also grew to know and love Royal Roads’ 565-acre campus.
“I was very taken by the geography of
this place and the gardens,” says Col. Boudreau who continued to visit the school, later bringing his wife, Major Suzanne Gouin-Boudreau (Ret’d), with him.
The two share a love of arts, culture, and history. So when it was time to plan their estate, they agreed it should be to support the cultural life of their schools,
which were of as much value to them as the courses they took.
The Boudreau legacy is earmarked for projects that will preserve Royal Roads’ heritage and contribute to a life-changing experience that helps educate students beyond the classroom.
To explore your goals for giving and nd out more about making a gift to Royal Roads’ Military Heritage or Gardens and Grounds programs, contact:
Amy Hinrichs
250.391.2529 1.866.207.0080 a.hinrichs@royalroads.ca