Students from Lord Tennyson Elementary school will have a seismically safe new home, thanks to the provincial government’s $24.5-million replacement of the school in the Kitsilano neighbourhood.

Minister of Education Mike Bernier made the announcement at Lord Tennyson Elementary today alongside the Vancouver School Board’s official trustee Dianne Turner and the Tennyson community to celebrate the project, further advancing seismic upgrades in Vancouver. Including Lord Tennyson, there are more than $208 million worth of seismic projects underway in the Vancouver school district.

The project includes demolishing the 106-year-old school and building a new elementary school on the same site. The new school will include a Neighbourhood Learning Centre and be built to B.C.’s latest seismic safety standards. As with all new schools, the facility will be built to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standard and incorporate B.C.’s new curriculum with modern and open learning spaces.

(flickr.com)

Government is able to make investments like the Lord Tennyson Elementary school seismic replacement project, thanks to the Province’s fiscal discipline and strong economy. The project will also help ensure young people get a chance to learn the trades, as it will be built under B.C.’s Apprentices on Public Projects Policy.

Quotes:

Mike Bernier, Minister of Education –

“Student safety is our key priority which is why we will keep advancing our seismic mitigation program in Vancouver. We have more than $200 million worth of projects under way with today’s announcement at Lord Tennyson. I’m looking forward to launching even more upgrades in the near future.” 

Dianne Turner, official trustee, Vancouver School Board –

“It is crucial that we get students in our district into seismically safe schools as soon as possible, so I’m pleased to see funding approved to build a new school for Tennyson students and staff. District staff are working diligently to move schools forward in the Seismic Mitigation Program so we can have many more announcements like this one.”

Quick Facts:

• Since 2001, government has spent over $234 million and is committed to spend another $566 million for a total investment of over $800 million to ensure schools in Vancouver are seismically safe for students.
• In addition to the Lord Tennyson Elementary project, the following projects are currently underway in Vancouver:
  • Dr. Annie B. Jamieson Elementary – $13.1 million seismic upgrade;
  • Sir Sandford Fleming Elementary – $25.9 million seismic replacement;
  • Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith Elementary – $11.6 million seismic upgrade;
  • Lord Nelson Elementary – $17.9 million seismic replacement;
  • Lord Strathcona Elementary – $25.6 million seismic upgrade;
  • L’Ecole Bilingue Elementary – $15.2 million seismic replacement;
  • Kitsilano Secondary – $57.8 million seismic upgrade and replacement; and
  • Queen Mary Elementary – $19.1 million seismic upgrade
• Over the next three years, B.C. will invest $1.7 billion to replace and renovate aging school buildings and add more student spaces in growing communities.

(flickr.com)

Learn More:

For more information about the Ministry of Education’s Seismic Mitigation Program: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/capitalplanning/seismic/

Vancouver School Board: https://www.vsb.bc.ca/

B.C.’s New Curriculum: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

Neighbourhood Learning Centres: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/administration/community-partnerships/neighbourhood-learning-centres