Capital Projects

In order to ensure that our students can learn and grow in modern and safe spaces, and that our staff can collaborate as they introduce updated and current curriculum, we need to keep planning and building the spaces that enable that. It’s about making sure work, learning and playing spaces support the goals of our whole school communities … and that requires collaboration across many agencies and partner groups as we look at our Capital Projects.

DISTRICT GOAL: Implement the District’s long Range Facilities Plan

Objectives Key Results
To ensure the district is equipped with modern, safe and comfortable learning environments by designing and constructing facilities that meet the districts needs. The key result for this objective will be to measure the delivery of the capital project against the approved schedule and budget provided to us by the Ministry of Education.

The current Major capital projects are for Queen Elizabeth Elementary, the newly opened New West Secondary School, the rebuild Skwo:wech (formerly Richard McBride) Elementary, and concept planning for a new 600 seat elementary school.

    • The NWSS Project is nearing completion. The new school opened in January of 2021. The old school is in the demolition phase.
    • Skwo:wech Elementary opened in the Spring of 2022. Landscaping and final work is coming to a close.
    • Site prep has begun for the new 13 classroom expansion to Queen Elizabeth Elementary School, building to commence soon.
    • A new 600 seat elementary school in the Fraser River Zone is in the concept development phase. The site being explored is on school property that’s adjacent to Fraser River Middle School, and would see the creation of a Simcoe Park campus style of learning.

Delivered by: Ongoing
To continue to work with partner groups – particularly the Ministry of Education and the City of New Westminster regarding potential facilities expansion and/or land acquisition opportunities that will meet the needs of our long range facilities plan.

To ensure students will be able to learn in right-sized facilities that are in reasonable proximity to their homes

 The District continues to face a rapid growth of expansion where we anticipate having well over 8,000 students by 2041. The District presently does not have sufficient capacity within existing buildings to accommodate this expected level of growth. We are guided by our long range facilities plan.

To address this objective, the district will:

    • Continue to submit as part of the 5 year capital plan, identified projects to meet growth demands either through expansion programs and new facilities. This includes plans to acquire bare sites for future development.
    • Work with the City of New Westminster to identify suitable sites that are consistent with the official community plans.
    • Continue to monitor and evaluate student enrolment growth and development in the City which attracts a greater number of new families.
    • Continue to update the long range facilities plan for new information (now happening every 18 months).

While the Board of Education has provided staff with guiding principles that prioritize the space in schools to be used for regular in catchment K-12 enrollment, our district is also committed to working with partner groups and the Ministry of Education on the provision so physical space for increased child care facilities. Often, the provision of these spaces is a joint partnership across ministries, city partners and agencies. To address this initiative, the district will:

    • Including requests of child care space in our request for replacement or new projects,
    • Look for creative solutions that allow us to expand before-and-after care options, and
    • Work with external funding partners to meet the demands of the community

Delivered by: Ongoing

DISTRICT GOAL: Develop an environmental strategy and climate action plan, and provide leadership in environmental education

Objectives Key Results
To continue construction projects that will help guide the district toward our environmental and climate action goals. Climate action is a growing issue that we must all play a part in. While building facilities which are environmentally friendly is only one of the first steps in developing a climate action strategy, it remains an important aspect of the work. This is, however, restricted by government funding for these significant improvements and allocation of funding for new capital projects.

To address this objective, to the extent possible, we will:

    • Include as part of our site development on new and replacement projects, a commitment and strategy for alternate transportation (walking, cycling, carpooling and/or use of electric vehicle usage);
    • Designing, and obtaining funding for, LEED Gold specifications for our new facilities;
    • Contemplating the most efficient systems available at the time of building (budget and government approval dependent) when it comes to heating and cooling, other mechanical aspects and glazing.

Delivered by: Ongoing