More than 400 students in Victoria will soon be attending a seismically safe school, Minister of Education Rob Fleming announced today.

As part of a commitment to investing in safe schools for children, the Government of British Columbia is funding a $2.4-million seismic upgrade of Campus View Elementary school.

Campus View was built in 1959, with four additions in 1962, 1964, 1967 and 2001. Four of the school’s five blocks have a high risk of failure in the event of a large earthquake. The fifth block does not require an upgrade.

Construction on the school begins in June 2018 and will be complete in September 2019.

The upgrades will include adding 12 concrete restraint anchorages, consisting of concrete footings and shear walls, cast against the exterior of the building. Also, steel anchors will be installed to connect the shear walls to the roof.

The majority of the exterior construction work will be done between June 2018 and June 2019, while the interior work will be completed during the summer school breaks. This allows students to remain in school throughout construction.

Government is committed to speeding up the pace of seismic upgrades throughout B.C. and is creating a plan to address the backlog of seismic projects in the province. This includes encouraging collaboration between the Ministry of Education, school districts and local governments to meet ambitious timelines and reduce the time it takes to plan and upgrade a school.

Government will also work to cut wait times for school upgrades by speeding up funding approvals.

The Province will work with the Seismic Mitigation Program experts, including Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia, to look for ways to more efficiently and cost-effectively meet and exceed the building code for seismic safety.

Quotes:

Rob Fleming, Minister of Education –

“We are making this investment to make sure families at Campus View can send their kids to school knowing they will be safe in the event of an earthquake. As a father with children in the public education system in Victoria, it is extremely important to me that we give our students a safe learning environment. We know there is more work to do and that is why we have 50 seismic projects that will proceed to approval in the next 18 months.”

Edith Loring-Kuhanga, chair, Greater Victoria Board of Education –

“When a school is seismically upgraded, it is a win for the community because everyone can have peace of mind in knowing that our children, our future leaders, will be safe.”

Piet Langstraat, superintendent, Greater Victoria School District –

“The safety of our students and staff is our first priority. We have a responsibility to provide safe schools that mitigate any risks from seismic activity. Living near the Juan De Fuca fault line, it is very important we are prepared in the event of an earthquake. Parents, students and staff all put their trust in us to provide a safe learning environment.”

Quick Facts:

• Government has committed $522 million over three years for seismic upgrades throughout B.C.
• 165 seismic upgrades have been completed and 79 are underway.