Two projects, including the new Burke Mountain school, will bring more than 1,000 new student seats to the fast-growing community of Coquitlam.
"Our government is investing in schools to welcome new students as more people than ever are choosing to make British Columbia their home," said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care. "That's why we're taking action by supporting these major investments in Coquitlam's families and students."
With almost $150 million in provincial funding, the two projects are now under construction in Coquitlam. The new Burke Mountain Middle/Secondary school will add 1,000 modern, safe seats for students in Coquitlam. The Province provided nearly $135 million in funding, while the Coquitlam School District contributed $25 million to the project.
The new school, which will be a combined middle and secondary school, will include a neighbourhood learning centre, which will help support community and recreational needs in the area. The school district will own part of the site, which will house Burke Mountain Middle/Secondary school, while the portion owned by the city will include a synthetic turf field, athletic track and other park amenities to benefit the community.
"This joint school project on Burke Mountain is an important step in creating a complete community for residents of northeast Coquitlam," said Richard Stewart, mayor of Coquitlam. "Working in partnership with SD43, the city is proud to also be delivering a 3.6-hectare community park at the school site that will include playing fields, a running track, tennis courts and washrooms to meet the needs of local sports user groups and this growing Coquitlam neighbourhood."
The Province also provided $15 million to create a 250-seat addition to Scott Creek Middle school. This addition will include 10 classrooms, corridors and lockers, and thanks to the use of prefabricated construction, the new addition is expected to be ready for student occupancy by fall 2024.
"As more families make Coquitlam their home, it's important we keep up with the demand on our schools," said Fin Donnelly, MLA for Coquitlam-Burke Mountain. "The creation of new, modern spaces for students to live, play and grow in will benefit our community for generations to come."
Recognizing the needs of the growing community, these investments are in addition to the Province's $416 million to create more than 1,375 safe and 2,600 new student seats in the Coquitlam School District over the past seven years. This includes the creation of 775 seismically safe seats at Irvine Elementary and Moody Elementary, funding for a seismic replacement of Montgomery Middle school which will create 600 additional safe seats, and the recently completed school at Coast Salish Elementary, which created 430 new student spaces.
"It's incredibly exciting to witness our long-term planning come together," said Michael Thomas, chair of the Coquitlam Board of Education. "The construction of a new secondary school in the rapidly growing Burke Mountain community, along with the expansion of classroom spaces at Scott Creek Middle, seismic upgrades and building projects across the district, have been immensely rewarding for the board of education. These developments are invaluable to our students and local families."
Since September 2017, the B.C. government has approved more than $5 billion for new and improved schools, and land purchases for schools in the province. This has resulted in approximately 36,000 new student spaces and more than 38,000 seismically safe seats at B.C. schools.
Learn More:
- To learn more about the Coquitlam School District, visit: https://www.sd43.bc.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
