Hundreds of parents in Marpole will soon have the comfort of sending their children to a brand-new, seismically safe David Lloyd George Elementary school.

The Government of British Columbia will provide $24.2 million to replace the 97-year-old school, with a new, seismically safe facility built on the current property’s upper playfield. It is scheduled to be ready for students by the 2021/22 school year.

“Too many high-risk schools have been ignored for far too long,” said Minister of Education Rob Fleming. “We are working for British Columbians by making investments that benefit B.C. families by giving them safer schools to send their children to. I can’t wait to see students walking through the doors of a brand-new David Lloyd George Elementary school.”

David Lloyd George was built in 1921, with an addition in 1954. Both blocks of the school were rated as having a high seismic risk in 2014 and need to be replaced to ensure students, teachers and support staff will be safer in the event of a major earthquake.

Construction of the new David Lloyd George will allow students to stay in the current building while the work is completed. The new school will be built with a capacity of 440 students, which is based on enrolment projections. It currently has 387 students.

“We're delighted to start 2018 with the news that another Vancouver school will soon have a seismically safe learning environment for students and staff,” said Vancouver Board of Education chair Janet Fraser. “We look forward to working with the Province to advance more seismic projects this year.”

Government is committed to completing the Seismic Mitigation Program to ensure every family in B.C. can send their children to safer schools. Currently, 168 of 346 high-risk schools have been upgraded or replaced.

With this investment, government has announced more than $100 million to upgrade or replace 11 high-risk schools since Sept. 1, 2017, including two other schools in Vancouver ― Sir Matthew Begbie Elementary and Bayview Elementary.

Government is addressing the backlog of seismic projects in the province by accelerating funding approvals, and reducing the time it takes to plan and upgrade a school. This includes collaborating with school districts and local governments to meet ambitious timelines.

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

Quick Facts:

• The Vancouver School Board has identified David Lloyd George Elementary as an immediate priority for the Seismic Mitigation Program.
• Government has committed $522 million for seismic upgrades across B.C. as part of its three-year fiscal plan.

Learn More:

British Columbia Seismic Mitigation Program: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/administration/resource-management/capital-planning/seismic-mitigation-program