Parkcrest Elementary (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

BACK TO SCHOOL

Five years after tragic fire, Parkcrest Elementary welcomes students back to a brand new school

Sep 4, 2024 | 5:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — “We are Parkcrest,” rang out in the new Parkcrest Elementary gymnasium.

Almost five years to the day after Parkcrest Elementary was lost to fire, students, staff and administrators once again filled the gymnasium on Wednesday (Sept. 4) to begin the new school year back on Parkcrest Avenue.

“I want to thank all the Parkcrest students and staff, as well as our school community and the families that have shown true school and community spirit these past few years. Not just the past few years but, truthfully, the last five because there is a lot that we have gone through not only as a community but as a society,” said principal Catherine Gorman. “The true heart of this school, however, is not the building itself. It’s the people who are in it and I have believed that from the very beginning.”

The word ‘resiliency’ was a key theme of the afternoon. After five years of hard work, the new school has welcomed hundreds of new and returning faces to the halls and classrooms.

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It also presents a new beginning for many of the teachers and staff who where there on September 5, 2019, when the school was lost.

“This is not just a replacement school. This is your home — but it is a beacon of hope for the future because of each one of you. I know you had the heart before you even came into the space, to help design the space. And I appreciate so much that beauty of that culture that you can feel when you walk in the door. Thank-you for your patience,” said SD73 Superintendent Rhonda Nixon.

The school can now fit more than 500 students within its walls comfortably, easing constraints across Brocklehurst and the North Shore.

“To the students of Parkcrest, when I look out into this room, the energy and the learning that is going to take place in this beautiful space gives me hope for what our future has to offer as well,” said SD73 Board Chair Heather Grieve. “We are really excited to see the students of Parkcrest grow and thrive and welcome to new beginnings here at Parkcrest Elementary.”

Parkcrest was built thanks to a $35-million investment from the province, along with funds from the City of Kamloops to expand the gym for community use, and the school district.