Students, teachers and staff at Windsor Secondary returned from spring break to a seismically safe and updated school, thanks to an almost $5-million upgrade under the Province’s Seismic Mitigation Program.  

Jane Thornthwaite, MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour, visited the school today on behalf of Education Minister Mike Bernier to celebrate the official completion and tour the upgrades along with North Vancouver School Board chair Christie Sacré, staff, parents and students.

The Province contributed $4.8 million and the North Vancouver School District provided $170,000 towards the seismic project.

The school’s main classroom and science classroom wing were seismically upgraded, bringing the whole school up to current safety standards. The project created three new collaborative learning spaces, including two science labs, two science classrooms and two flexible learning spaces. Improvements were also made to two additional science classrooms, a computer lab, an electronics lab and the change rooms.

This project refreshed and modernized the school’s interior to support B.C.’s new curriculum. The school’s new spaces are flexible and collaborative, featuring glass walls and modern furniture. The district contributed an additional $615,000 for these upgrades, including a fundraising contribution from the Parent Advisory Council to purchase new furniture for the student common area.

Windsor Secondary is the eighth of eleven high-risk schools to be completed in the North Vancouver School District. Another two seismic projects are getting underway – the $45.7-million replacement at Argyle Secondary is proceeding to construction this year, and Handsworth Secondary is in early planning stages.

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. These investments are possible because of the fiscal plan of the B.C. government.

(flickr.com)

Quotes:

Jane Thornthwaite, MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour –

“The upgrade at Windsor has done so much more than make the school seismically safe for students – it has updated the whole look of the school, making it more comfortable and conducive to B.C.’s new curriculum. Special thanks to the Parent Advisory Council for their contribution to the students’ spaces, adding to the modern design of the school.”

Christie Sacré, chair, North Vancouver School Board –

“I am happy to see this project finished and to feel the positive energy within the school that always seems to come with updated spaces. I graduated from Windsor in 1985 and I am glad that the school continues to be revitalized and is seismically safe. A big thank-you to the Windsor PAC for their financial support and to the Windsor students and staff for their work and patience through the completion of this project.”

Quick Facts:

• 19 major capital and seismic projects worth more than $167 million have been completed in the North Vancouver School District.
• Since launching the Seismic Mitigation Program in 2004, government has spent over $1.5 billion to complete 164 seismic high-risk school projects throughout the province.
• Budget 2017 commits $2 billion over the next three years to replace and renovate aging school buildings and add more student spaces in growing communities.

Learn More:

North Vancouver School District: http://www.sd44.ca/Pages/default.aspx

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

Seismic Mitigation Program: http://ow.ly/nvGp30a89r0