Education Minister Rachna Singh (Image Credit: Flickr / Province of B.C.)

By Education and Child Care Minister Rachna Singh

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: New elementary school continues momentum in Kamloops

Mar 1, 2023 | 10:50 AM

THERE WAS SNOW ON THE GROUND in January when I touched down in Kamloops, but I got an incredibly warm welcome at the expanded Valleyview Secondary. My trip to Kamloops was my first visit outside of the Lower Mainland since I was sworn in as B.C.’s new Minister of Education and Child Care in December 2022.

I am happy to keep the good news coming to Kamloops: just last week our government announced funding of $65.2 million to design and build a new, modern 485-seat elementary school for the fast-growing Pineview Valley area. The K-7 school will also feature a Neighbourhood Learning Centre to host programs and services that benefit the community, including childcare spaces.

Our New Democrat government is investing in our communities and our young people. It is so important that our students have the best opportunities to learn in a neighbourhood school, connecting to school and their community during their formative elementary years. A brand new elementary school and Neighbourhood Learning Centre for the Pineview Valley neighbourhood will support the next generation of children and families to learn, connect and grow.

This new school continues a series of investments our New Democrat government has made in Kamloops students in recent years.

When I got to meet with students and tour the 20-class expansion at Valleyview Secondary, I saw students enjoying the amazing new gym and innovative features like a film studio and drafting room. It was certainly the kind of school I wish I could have attended as a teenager! This project was supported by an investment of $32.7 million from the province and $1.75 million from the fantastic local school district. The expansion means that the space can now accommodate up to 1,200 students, almost double the number of students it was previously designed to accommodate.

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Construction is also underway right now on a new, larger Parkcrest Elementary school for the Brocklehurst community, which is set to welcome students in 2024. Our government invested $34.84 million in the project, improving facilities for 510 students in grades K-6.

When it opens in 2026, the new elementary school in Pineview Valley will build on these investments and ensure that even more students can learn in a modern, welcoming environment geared towards building the kinds of skills our children need to succeed in the future.

The building design will include mass timber from B.C., a reminder of the potential and opportunity in our province. It will also be designed to be climate-resilient and help students and teachers stay cool during extreme heat events.

Since 2017, we’ve invested over $3 billion in building new and improved schools and land purchases for new schools around B.C. Through our funding commitments to school operating and capital, as well as child care, the Ministry of Education and Child Care is investing a total record level of $3 billion over three years.

We are investing more in students than ever before in the history of our province, and I’m proud to support growing communities like Kamloops as part of our commitment to make sure that every student in B.C. has the best opportunities to learn and thrive.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.