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Celebrating community building with the Jay Westman Atrium

  • 27 October 2026
Jim Szautner, Dean, School of Construction and MacPhail School of Energy, SAIT; Jay Westman, Chairman and CEO, Jayman BUILT and JWI Investments; Kirk Muise, Regional President, Alberta and Territories, RBC and member of SAIT's Real Futures Campaign Cabinet; and Dr. David Ross, President and CEO, SAIT.
Pictured (left to right) Jim Szautner, Dean, School of Construction and MacPhail School of Energy, SAIT; Kirk Muise, SAIT's Real Futures Campaign Cabinet; Jay Westman, Chairman and CEO, Jayman BUILT and JWI Investments; Dr. David Ross, President and CEO, SAIT.

On Monday, Oct. 26, SAIT celebrated the formal dedication of the Jay Westman Atrium in the Thomas Riley building. This space recognizes and honours Jay Westman’s (Business Administration '84, SAIT Distinguished Alumnus ‘97) longstanding leadership, generosity and commitment to skilled trades education in Alberta.  

Jay’s leadership helped inspire a broader industry response to the skilled-trades shortage through the creation of the BILD Alberta Scholarships for Construction Careers in 2022. Through his advocacy, donors, BILD Alberta, SAIT and NAIT came together to provide financial support for learners pursuing apprenticeship, pre-employment and construction-related education.

That support has already made an impact. In 2025/26 alone, 608 students at SAIT and NAIT received support through the initiative, with 687 awards representing $1.2 million being disbursed.

Jay Westman with members of his family and the Trueman team.
Jay Westman (centre) with members of his family, the Westman Charitable Foundation and Jayman BUILT team.

 The Jay Westman Atrium will provide a permanent place to recognize Jay’s leadership and the collective effort it helped inspire. Each day students will move through this space on their way to classrooms and workshops, preparing for careers in the skilled trades.  

"This atrium is where so many SAIT stories begin. The first day, the first new friend, the first moment a student realizes they found the right path. From today on those stories begin in the Jay Westman Atrium,” said Dr. David Ross, SAIT President and CEO.

Find out more about the BILD Alberta Scholarships for Construction Careers, and learn how you can make a difference by supporting student success at SAIT.

a view of the moutains and stream in between

Oki, Âba wathtech, Danit'ada, Tawnshi, Hello.

SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.

We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.

Visit Natoysopoyiis Resource Centre