Construction has begun on a new Hazel Trembath Elementary School in Port Coquitlam after a fire destroyed the school on Oct. 14, 2023.
In an update provided on Monday, the provincial government announced the replacement school will be delivered in a first-in-B.C. hybrid-construction approach that will speed up the opening. It will include 240 seats and a learning centre for future child care spaces.
It will also include two kindergarten classrooms and eight elementary classrooms.
It is expected to open in December 2027.
An RCMP investigation concluded the fire that destroyed the school was both human-caused and criminal in nature, though no one has been charged.
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“Like many of you, I remember when the fire happened, a criminal act of vandalism, if there ever was one, and like the community, just devastated,” MLA Mike Farnworth said.
“Because Hazel Trembath is more than a school, it’s a cornerstone of a community where kids go to learn; they make friends and relationships that often last a lifetime.”
The cost of the project is expected to be nearly $39 million.
Since 2017, the provincial government has invested in 11 capital projects in the Coquitlam School District. Eight of the projects are complete, including the new addition at École Dr. Charles Best Secondary School. The three projects underway are the replacement of Hazel Trembath Elementary, the seismic replacement of Montgomery Middle School and the new Burke Mountain Secondary, set to open in 2027.
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