Architecture alum designs bursary to help students excel

“I had the key to the shop so I could give students after hours access to work on their portfolio models,” Parent says. “I went out, bought some wood, and made some furniture for myself.”

Applying the skills that he learned through his courses, Parent produced some pieces that he says were ahead of the curve. “It was the kind of furniture you find at IKEA that you can take apart, so they are easy to move,” he says. “I still have a few items that I made.”

Discovering a passion

Parent has a knack for making the most of opportunities. Originally from Campbellton, N.B., he remembers spending many hours in his father’s home office watching him draft house designs and industrial buildings. It was more than a bonding experience for Parent. It opened his eyes to a future in architecture, particularly when his father turned to him for help.  

“He was French, so I would check his designs because he was doing them in English,” Parent explains. “That’s how I became interested in the work. It wasn’t so much the art of architecture that interested me. It was more the technical side and construction.”

Deciding to explore his interest further, Parent enrolled at Dalhousie. He liked that it allowed him to stay in the region and the fact that it had relatively small classes, which not only encouraged strong friendships with his fellow students, but also meant more access to instructors and mentors.

“I was really fortunate in that I met Jim Sykes, who was director of planning and development at Dalhousie,” Parent says. “He influenced me in my last years of university, specifically how to use the landscape to inform what you are designing instead of doing boxy-type buildings.”

Supporting a new generation of students

Buoyed by his Dal experience, Parent relocated to Toronto and started his career with WZMH before joining Canada Mortgage and Housing as an architectural advisor in Ottawa and then a branch architect in Toronto. In 1989, he joined McEwen & Associates in Belleville as director of architecture. Then in 1991, he became the university architect at the University of Waterloo, where he oversaw the construction of 40 major projects valued at $880 million. He retired in 2020 and has been enjoying life with his wife, Anne.

The impact of his Dal experience has never been far from Parent’s mind. He started making annual gifts to the faculty in 2009 to show his gratitude, but it occurred to him that he could do even more. In 2023, he reached out to the university to create the JC Daniel Parent BArch 73 Bursary. It provides an annual award to an entering student in the undergraduate architecture program.

“It was my daughter, Laura, who suggested it,” Parent says. “I had been thinking about how I had to manage the money that I had when I was a student so I could succeed and earn my degree. It helped that I had received a bursary, so I thought it would be nice to do the same for other students who are in need.”

By creating the bursary, Parent is doing his part so students can excel. There have been two recipients so far and Parent is looking at how to maximize the bursary’s impact. The goal is to transition it to an endowed fund so that it can support students for years to come. But there is another way he hopes that his gift can make a difference.

“When you give, it influences others to do so,” Parent says. “I’d love it if other people hear about the bursary and are inspired to make similar donations.”