Construction begins to replace century-old Lord Nelson School
Project is part of previously-announced B.C. government commitment to seismic upgrades for Vancouver schools
Vancouver's 106-year-old Lord Nelson Elementary school will be replaced by a new, seismically-safe school by the fall of 2018, the province has announced.
At a news conference Wednesday, Education Minister Mike Bernier and government-appointed Vancouver school trustee Dianne Turner joined Lord Nelson students, teachers and parents to mark the beginning of construction for the replacement school with a formal ground breaking ceremony.
"Our goal is get more students into seismically safe schools as quickly as possible," said Bernier.
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The $18.4-million provincial government contribution toward the new school is part of an $800-million commitment previously announced to upgrade several schools across the city.
As part of that investment, nine Vancouver schools are currently being replaced or upgraded to meet seismic standards.
In addition, the City of Vancouver will provide $6.4 million to build a 69-space child-care centre in the new, three-storey Lord Nelson school.
"With this innovative partnership, the Grandview-Woodland community will not only have a new, seismically safe school but also an expanded child-care centre that will benefit families in the area," said Turner.
Lord Nelson Elementary School was built in 1910 and additional wings were added in the 1950s and 1960s.