The ribbon has been cut on UNB Saint John’s new residence.
It’s dedicated to Barry and Flora Beckett, who spent many years working on the Tucker Park campus during the school’s formative years in the ’60s.
Flora Beckett passed away in 2013. Her husband, longtime professor and former registrar Dr. Barry Beckett, called their time at UNB Saint John “pioneer days.”
“I think it’s recognition of a time. It was an enterprise that we all believed in and the students certainly appreciated it,” Beckett said.
Beckett said in those days, they were only graduating about 40 students a year and he knew every one of them.
“And I knew that some of the students who just got a degree but barely deserved all the credit anyone could give them because they did it against all odds,” Beckett said.
As for the school’s many accomplishments in the intervening years, Beckett said as Maritimers “we don’t brag enough.”
The residence has energy-efficient geothermal technology which allows students to control the temperature of their bedroom.
It’s also connected to the Colin B. Mackay Residence by a pedway.
“It is a proud moment for UNB,” said Dr. Paul J. Mazerolle, UNB president and vice-chancellor. “This residence is a testament to the past, and a reminder moving forward of how our students are the future of UNB.”
At an event celebrating the official opening of the Barry and Flora Beckett Residence on the Tucker Park campus of UNB Saint John. pic.twitter.com/MGkhse21mR
— Tamara Steele (@tamarasteele1) September 23, 2021
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