Students and families are one step closer to having a new elementary school in the Cloverley neighbourhood now that construction has started.
"As the sixth major capital school project to break ground in North Vancouver in six years, the new Cloverley elementary school is part of our government's commitment to continue investing in the infrastructure that our communities need," said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure. "This new state-of-the-art school will provide hundreds of new student spaces to help meet the growing needs of families that choose to make North Vancouver home."
The Province has provided $61 million for the new 585-seat elementary kindergarten-to-Grade 7 school, with the North Vancouver School District contributing an additional $3 million, and $3.5 million from the City of North Vancouver. The new school will include a neighbourhood learning centre, which can be used for programs and services, such as child care. The school is expected to be ready for students by fall 2026.
"I am proud to be breaking ground on this new school, which will be such an important addition to the community," said Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care. "Communities do well when students have access to safe, modern schools close to home, which will benefit many families for years to come."
Since 2016, government has approved more than $233 million to create 1,030 new student seats and 3,150 seismically safer seats in the North Vancouver School District.
This includes:
- the seismic replacement of Argyle Secondary;
- funding to quickly build an addition at Westview Elementary school;
- the seismic upgrades at Mountainside Secondary;
- the seismic replacement and expansion at Handsworth Secondary; and
- a 145-seat expansion at Lynn Valley Elementary.
Since September 2017, the B.C. government has approved almost $6 billion for new and improved schools, and land purchases for schools in the province. This has resulted in more than 42,000 new student spaces and more than 38,000 seismically safer seats at B.C. schools.
Quotes:
Susie Chant, MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour -
"I am so excited to see the start of construction for the new Cloverley Elementary school. There are so many people who pushed to make this happen, and I am grateful for their collaboration and perseverance. North Vancouver is an amazing place to raise a family, and it's great to see our public school infrastructure reflect that."
Linda Buchanan, mayor, North Vancouver -
"Today's groundbreaking is a significant milestone for our community. Families in this growing neighbourhood have faced challenges with limited school capacity and affordable child care options. With this new elementary school and child care centre, we're building a brighter future ensuring our children have the support they need to learn, grow and thrive close to home."
Linda Munro, chair, North Vancouver Board of Education -
"Investments such as this are what the North Vancouver School District needs to help keep pace with our growing student enrolment. We are so pleased that construction is underway. The new school will help to ensure children in families who choose the Cloverley neighbourhood as their home are able to attend their local school and all learners have access to a safe, inclusive and engaging environment to learn and grow in."
Learn More:
To learn more about the North Vancouver School District, visit: https://www.sd44.ca
For more information about major public school capital projects underway, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/administration/capital/major-capital-projects
