The Ministry of Education announced Thursday a plan to accelerate seismic upgrades on 23 elementary schools, by forming a special project team within the Richmond School District.
“We’re hoping to get a lot of projects under construction. There’s an incredible backlog in the district — more than most others in B.C.,” Minister of Education Rob Fleming told the Richmond News.
"The Richmond seismic mitigation project team will afford our school district with additional staffing resources that will help to ensure that seismically high-risk sites receive the necessary seismic upgrades,” said Board of Education chair Dr. Eric Yung, via a ministry news release.
The ministry said the team will focus on “clearing a backlog of seismic upgrades” in Richmond, a district that has a disproportionate amount of unsafe schools.
Presently, two schools — Cook elementary and Hugh Boyd secondary — are already proceeding to construction, while five elementary schools — Steves, Mitchell, Tait, Tomsett and Ferris — are in the business case development stage, meaning final plans are being drawn up. Another 18 elementary schools are deemed “future priorities” among 116 schools province wide.
According to parent group Richmond Schools Stand United, 7,193 children attended a seismically unsafe school in 2016.
But without details on how many Richmond schools can be accelerated with the new team, some parents, such as RSSU member Kim Nowitsky are only cautiously optimistic.
“We're pleased to hear this announcement as Richmond is long overdue for some attention from the province,” said Nowitsky.
However, “I’d like to see more concrete timelines in place before getting my hopes up,” she said.
Nowitsky said the past BC Liberal government often chose cheaper projects to tend to.
Fleming said his new BC NDP government has added $100 million to the $1.7 billion school projects budget over three years.
Richmond’s new team is part of an 18-month plan to “approve” 50 more projects, according to the ministry. The team will begin its focus on the $11 million Boyd and $14 million Cook projects.
“School districts are being directed to expedite the development of business cases for supported projects, and government is taking steps to accelerate the funding-approval process. Project teams, like this one in Richmond, will enable the procurement and construction phases to be accelerated as well,” noted the ministry.
Fleming had visited Richmond prior to last May’s provincial election that saw his party form a minority government with the BC Green Party.
The pace of upgrades became a local talking point. Fleming broadly pledged to expedite seismic upgrades at schools. Simultaneously the BC Liberals, now in opposition, also pledged to open a project team in Richmond.
"Too many families in Richmond have been sending their students to schools that would be vulnerable in the event of a large earthquake," said Fleming Thursday.
"That's unacceptable to me, and to the parents in Richmond. I'm excited to be working with the Richmond Board of Education on a plan that will finally bring Richmond schools up to modern seismic standards and keep students safer."
In the last district budget, the district proposed an ambitious seismic remediation plan for 11 schools, at an estimated cost of $210 million. The district is limited in how many schools it can work on at once as it will have to temporarily transfer students out of catchment.
Richmond’s schools are ageing and new earthquake standards have revealed many are unsafe. Richmond soils are soft and saturated and liquefaction will occur in a major shake.
According to the ministry, the district has hired professional engineer Frank Geyer as executive director of planning and development. Geyer is the former director of facilities and planning with the Delta School District. He will report to the Richmond seismic mitigation project team, and will be responsible for co-ordinating an accelerated seismic mitigation program in Richmond.
"We welcome the news of a new project team being formed to assist with the many seismic mitigation projects in Richmond," said Ann English, P.Eng., CEO and registrar of Engineers and Geoscientists BC.
"B.C.'s engineers and geoscientists are uniquely positioned to provide world-class expertise in the areas of earthquake safety and technology. Public safety is our top priority, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Ministry of Education on the Seismic Mitigation Program."
18 Richmond schools in need of repair but without a business plan in development:
Alfred B Dixon Elementary
Blundell Elementary
Daniel Woodward Elementary
Donald E McKay Elementary
École Des Navigateurs (Kilgour)
James Gilmore Elementary
James McKinney Elementary
James Thompson Elementary
James Whiteside Elementary
John G Diefenbaker Elememtary
John T Errington Elementary
Maple Lane Elementary
Quilchena Elementary
R M Grauer Elementary
Sea Island Elementary
Richmond Walter Lee Elementary
Richmond Westwind Elementary
Richmond William Bridge Elementary
