Summary

• A new 200-seat addition is open at Dr. Kearney Middle school in Fort St. John
• An expansion at Wonowon Elementary school adds 20 new seats for students and includes a modernized water system
• The upgrades help create safe, accessible learning spaces and make room for more students in their local communities

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Families in Fort St. John and Wonowon have more space for children to learn as two new school additions open to support students in northern B.C.

“We’re investing in schools throughout the province to ensure families and students have the spaces they need to succeed,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure. “Designing classrooms with input from the community ensures that young people have accessible and modern spaces to learn that fit their needs.”

Supporting Fort St. John students

The new addition at Dr. Kearney Middle school adds 200 new seats for students in Fort St. John. Built using prefabricated construction technology, the addition was completed in approximately half the time of a traditional build, allowing students to benefit from the new spaces sooner. Construction began in July 2025 and is now complete.

The new addition includes:

• eight new classrooms to increase student capacity from 525 to 725 seats
• modern, energy-efficient spaces to keep students comfortable year-round
• facilities such as washrooms, corridors, lockers and advanced ventilation systems, supporting a healthy learning environment

Serving students in Wonowon

The partial replacement and expansion of Wonowon Elementary school adds 20 new seats for students while upgrading the existing building. Construction started in fall 2024 and is now complete. Upgrades include:

• increase in student capacity from 75 to 95 seats
• upgrades to the school’s existing water well and filtration systems to provide students and staff with better quality drinking water
• new accessibility ramps so students can move comfortably and independently throughout the school

The upgrades and expansions are a part of ensuring healthy, accessible and quality learning environments while increasing capacity so more students can learn closer to home.

“Safe, modern places to learn that are close to home are essential for communities,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care. “These new classrooms in Fort St. John and Wonowon mean more students can be supported in the North for years to come. We’re proud to invest in schools that help every child feel welcome, comfortable and ready to learn, today and into the future.”

Investing in students in northern communities

The Province invested $29 million for these school projects: $12 million for the addition at Dr. Kearney Middle School and nearly $17 million for the partial replacement and expansion of Wonowon Elementary.

Since 2017, government has invested more than $65 million in school capital projects throughout the Peace River North District. It includes 725 new seats and upgrades to schools throughout the district.

In 2025-26, the Peace River North School District received more than $4.2 million for a variety of projects from the Ministry of Infrastructure’s capital programs, including:

• an annual facility grant: $2,072,782
• school enhancement program: $825,000

“The Dr. Kearney addition has benefited the district by increasing the available number of middle school seats while also freeing up space for other uses, such as a full classroom for our Indigenous student program,” said Helen Gilbert, board chair, Peace River North School District. “The Wonowon community provided input for the design of the replacement structure and upgrades. In addition to being a safe, modern learning space for students, the building will meet other community needs.”

Creating more student spaces in B.C.

Since 2017, the Province has approved more than $7 billion to create more than 47,000 new student seats and more than 39,000 seismically safe seats in B.C. schools.

Of these spaces, more than 23,500 new student seats and more than 33,000 seismically safer seats are already complete.

As the province grows, government remains committed to working with school districts and municipalities to provide students with safe, modern places to learn.

Quote:

Brittny Anderson, Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities – 

“When we invest in public schools, we’re investing in the future of communities. Having space for students to learn close to home is especially important for rural communities. I know these new seats in Wonowon and Fort St. John will make a real difference for students and their families.”

Steve Morissette, parliamentary secretary for rural development –

“Supporting rural communities means ensuring families have strong schools, services and opportunities close to home. With these new seats in Wonowon and Fort St. John, we are investing in the strength and resilience of not just the entire community, but the entire province.”

Learn More:

• For more information on K-12 school capital projects in B.C., visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/administration/capital 
• Previous announcements:
  https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024ECC0132-001547
  https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024INF0003-001676