Central courtyard to be renamed Norris Walker Family Community Courtyard
A $4-million gift from the estate of Norris Woodruff Walker is now the largest estate donation in Niagara College history, reinforcing the legacy of a man whose life was defined by community and compassion.
At a June 2 ceremony, Niagara College unveiled a plaque to rename its central courtyard the Norris Walker Family Community Courtyard, a fitting tribute to a family deeply connected to the college’s growth.
This legacy gift builds upon the Norris Walker family’s extensive history of generosity at NC, which is reflected across the College’s two Niagara campuses.
In 2019, a $1-million gift from the estate of Marilyn Walker led to the establishment of the Marilyn I. Walker Centre of Excellence in Visual Arts & Technology at the Welland Campus, complemented by a $100,000 endowment for an annual bursary for final-year visual arts or technology students.
In 2015, a $1.2-million donation to the College’s Achieving Dreams Campaign supported the Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre at the Welland Campus.
The Norris and Marilyn Walker Scholarship was established in 2004 to assist students in business and technology programs.
This historic donation strengthens the college’s Together Campaign, an ambitious $50-million effort to expand access to education, address workforce shortages, and invest in innovation and student success.
(Written by: Brandon Warby)