Construction of the new state-of-the-art $28.7-million École Moody Middle School of the Arts is already at the half way mark, on track to welcome up to 450 grades 6-8 students this fall.

MLA for Port Moody-Coquitlam Linda Reimer, on behalf of Education Minister Mike Bernier, joined Coquitlam School District officials on a tour of the construction site today.

Construction of the new facility began in the fall of 2015. The shell of the building is already in place with many classrooms now constructed. The library and gymnasium are also taking shape.   

The new 5,350-square-metre middle school is being built alongside the existing school, which will be demolished once the new school is open. The fully accessible and seismically upgraded school will feature large open and flexible learning spaces to support B.C.’s new curriculum.

Once complete, the three-storey building will include lots of natural light and offer a wide-range of outdoor opportunities for student learning.

Additionally, the school will house a Neighbourhood Learning Centre with a focus on fine arts and performance spaces, as well as a StrongStart Centre to benefit area families. 

The Coquitlam School District has completed 18 seismic mitigation projects to date. There are currently four seismic projects underway, and 10 projects remaining to be addressed in the district. The Coquitlam School District has a great track record of delivering seismic mitigation project on time and on budget.

The École Moody Middle School of the Arts seismic replacement project is helping ensure young people get a chance to learn the trades, as it is being built under B.C.’s Apprentices on Public Projects Policy. This is one way the Province is helping ensure more young people in B.C. get connected with skills training and apprenticeship opportunities.

The B.C. government is making record investments in modern, safe infrastructure projects throughout the province. In doing so, these construction projects are creating well-paying, family-supporting jobs. This project is anticipated to create about 87 local jobs. These investments are possible because of the fiscal plan of the B.C. government.

Quotes:

Linda Reimer, MLA for Port Moody-Coquitlam –

“Crews are making great progress at the new École Moody Middle School of the Arts. This seismically safe school will provide students many unique opportunities for learning B.C.’s new curriculum. I am thrilled to see construction on track to serve families of the community soon and well into the future.”

Kerri Palmer Isaak, chair, Board of Education, Coquitlam School District –

“We are very pleased to see substantial progress being made on this school seismic replacement project. Students, families, and community members of this area will all benefit immensely from the new École Moody Middle School of the Arts.”

Quick Facts:

• Since 2001, 31 capital and seismic projects worth more than $172 million have been completed in the Coquitlam School District.
• Including École Moody Middle School of the Arts, there are four full seismic replacement projects underway in the district, totalling almost $148 million:
  • Centennial Secondary school – $61.1 million
  • Minnekhada Middle school – $33.3 million
  • Banting Middle school – $24.7 million

Learn More:

Watch for construction updates at: http://www.sd43.bc.ca/school/moody/ProgramsServices/Construction/Pages/default.aspx

School District No. 43 (Coquitlam): http://ow.ly/V2CFn

Seismic Mitigation Program: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/educationtraining/administration/resource-management/capital-planning/seismic-mitigation-program

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

Neighbourhood Learning Centres: http://ow.ly/UUlV0

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