Families in Chilliwack can look forward to more than 1,500 new student seats that will provide the learning environments that students deserve.
“Chilliwack is a great place to raise a family, and our government is working to add new spaces and eliminate portables as fast as possible so we can provide better learning spaces for students,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Education.
“As the community continues to grow, we’ll keep making investments that give students the classroom experience that will give them the best chance to thrive.”
The Government of B.C. is providing $15.4 million for a new 600-seat secondary school at the former University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) North campus. In addition, construction is ready to begin on the new, $53.6-million South Side elementary-middle school, which will sit along the Vedder River with capacity for 930 students.
“We’re all very excited about the new schools that are on the way to provide a better learning experience for our students,” said Dan Coulter, chair, Chilliwack Board of Education. “These investments are the result of a positive relationship between our board and the provincial government, and we’re excited to continue working with the Province to add even more new classrooms to our district.”
The new school at the former UFV North campus will be a 600-seat facility for students in grades 8 to 12, and will have an arts and technology focus. The building already features classrooms and an auditorium, with childcare on site, and will be renovated to fit secondary school programming. The new school is set to open to students in September 2021.
The new South Side elementary-middle school is expected to open to students in kindergarten to Grade 8 for September 2022.
In total, the Province has announced $79 million for Chilliwack school expansion projects in the last two years, which will eliminate the equivalent of about 61 of the nearly 100 portables in the district. A further 690 student seats are under business-case development that are expected to reduce more portables in Chilliwack.
These investments are part of government’s plan to build new and expanded schools in fast-growing communities throughout B.C.
Since September 2017, the Province has announced nearly $1.7 billion in school capital investments, including about $660 million for almost 10,800 new student seats – the equivalent of about 430 portables at B.C. schools.