Students and staff at David Livingstone Elementary school are safer at school with a newly finished seismic upgrade.

“Providing students, families and school staff with safe and supportive classrooms at our schools are a top priority,” said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care. “We’re making great progress seismically upgrading schools throughout B.C., giving students access to safe, modern learning environments.”

All three storeys of David Livingstone Elementary were upgraded to make the classrooms, library and administrative offices seismically safer for more than 360 students. During construction, students were relocated to nearby schools and returned to David Livingstone Elementary after upgrades were complete. The Province invested $17.3 million for upgrades.

“It’s great news for our community that David Livingstone Elementary is seismically upgraded,” said Mable Elmore, MLA for Vancouver-Kensington. “This school is a hub for our community, and now that it’s safer, it can continue to serve families and future generations.”

The project is part of the Province’s work to provide Vancouver students with seismically safer learning environments. Since September 2017, the Government of B.C. has invested more than $300 million to seismically upgrade or replace 12 schools in Vancouver.

“For many years now, the board has been working with the provincial government to ensure more schools are safer in the event of an earthquake, and we are proud of our progress here in Vancouver,” said Victoria Jung, board chair, Vancouver School Board. “We are delighted to see the David Livingstone Elementary community thriving in a seismically safe place of learning that will serve students today and for years to come.”  

Since September 2017, the Government of B.C. has announced $3.2 billion for new and improved schools and land purchases for future schools throughout the province. This includes adding approximately 21,000 new student spaces and 33,000 seismically safer seats in B.C. schools.

Budget 2023 includes $3.4 billion for school capital investments to provide better places for students to learn.

Learn More:

For information about major public school capital projects underway, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/administration/capital/major-capital-projects

To learn about B.C.’s Seismic Mitigation Program, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/administration/capital/seismic-mitigation