Burnaby students, teachers and staff will benefit from seismic upgrades and new classrooms at two schools, thanks to more than $30 million in funding from the Province’s Seismic Mitigation Program for École Alpha Secondary and Montecito Elementary schools.

Burnaby MLA Richard T. Lee announced the investment on behalf of education minister Mike Bernier at an event today at École Alpha Secondary.

The $27.2-million Alpha project will replace two classroom wings with a more efficient and modern space. The project also includes seismic upgrades to both gyms and classrooms, as well as the administrative and shop rooms. These improvements will increase student capacity of the school from 1,025 to 1,100. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2016 and be completed in summer 2018.

The $3.8-million Montecito project includes four new classrooms, which will increase the student capacity of the school from 215 to 315. The project also includes seismic upgrades to the classroom wing and administrative area. The project is is expected to begin in spring 2016 and finish in spring 2017.

The Alpha project also meets the new requirement under the Apprentices on Public Projects Policy, part of the B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint. This is one way the government is helping ensure more young people in B.C. get connected with skills training and apprenticeship opportunities. In the next ten years there will be hundreds of major projects underway in B.C. and by hiring apprentices, contractors help support families, communities and keep B.C.’s economy diverse, strong and growing.

Quotes:

Richard T. Lee, MLA for Burnaby North –

“Burnaby students will benefit as the B.C. government continues to deliver its commitment to ensuring schools are structurally safe from earthquakes. These improvements and classroom additions are part of the Province’s award winning Seismic Mitigation Program that provides children, teachers and staff with safe, modern and protected learning environments.”

Ron Burton, Burnaby board of education chair –

“These improvements to École Alpha Secondary and Montecito Elementary signify a long-term commitment to student and staff safety. With the increased capacity and space efficiencies that will be realized by these projects, we look forward to accommodating the learning needs of our Burnaby families for years to come.”

Quick Facts:

• B.C. is recognized as a leader in seismic research and seismic safety, which attracts experts from around the world.
• The goal of the Seismic Mitigation Program is to achieve a life-safety standard for schools by minimizing the risk of a structural collapse, as a result of a seismic event.
• Since 2001, the Province has invested more than $193 million to complete 16 capital and seismic projects in the Burnaby School District.
• Since 2001, the government’s award-winning Seismic Mitigation Program has spent or committed $2.2 billion to upgrade or replace 214 high-risk schools:
  • 146 projects completed;
  • 15 under construction;
  • Nine proceeding to construction, and
  • 44 projects the Province has already committed to fund that are in various stages of planning.
• The Burnaby school district has 41 elementary schools and eight secondary schools.
• Montecito Elementary school opened in 1972 and École Alpha Secondary school opened in 1950.

Learn More:

For more information about the province’s seismic mitigation program, visit: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/administration/resource-management/capital-planning/seismic-mitigation-program

Burnaby school district: http://www.sd41.bc.ca/

B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint One-Year Update: http://www.workbc.ca/blueprintaction

For more information on the Apprentices on Public Projects policy visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/stories/public-project-contractors-required-to-sponsor-apprentices