Parents call for rebuild 1 year after fire destroys B.C. school

Parents and students brought cards and confections to the Broadway Street fire hall in Port Coquitlam Monday to thank firefighters for their efforts battling the fire that destroyed Hazel Trembath Elementary.

But an air of frustration hung over the Thanksgiving celebration, as parents said that one year after the fire, they still have no idea what's next for the school. 

"It's been challenging," said Shawna Comey, a parent of two children enrolled at the school. "We're waiting in limbo, and there's still no official word on when the school will be rebuilt and if it will be rebuilt."

On Oct. 14, 2023, Hazel Trembath Elementary was consumed in a fire that Coquitlam RCMP say was human-caused.

In the year since, the provincial government has committed to rebuilding the school, but the community says it's not happening fast enough. And although students may be adapting to changes in programming, parents say they still don't have any answers as to when students can return to their home school.

"Students just miss being back in their community," Comey said. "We're frustrated, and we feel like we're being pushed aside and forgotten about." 

In the previous school year, more than 260 students were enrolled at Hazel Trembath Elementary. 

"I felt really sad when the school burnt down because I had lots of memories there," said Obiya Kanna, a Grade 3 student.

Since the fire, students have resumed their studies at a temporary school set up at the Winslow Centre, about six kilometres away. Every day, students are picked up at the old school and bussed 20 minutes to their new one.

The commute has cut into the school day, leading to shorter breaks for the kids. The centre does not have a playground or a music program. 

"I don't really like it there," Kanna said. "It's not what I thought it would be."

Ongoing police investigation

Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Alexa Hodgins said police believe the fire was human-caused. She said it's not clear how long the investigation will take.

"Our investigators are still combing through all the evidence that they've collected thus far," she said Tuesday. 

She said police are finished collecting evidence at the school, and the investigation is in no way affecting the rebuilding of the school.

She said investigators are hoping anyone with information on the fire contacts Coquitlam RCMP.

"We know that there is an individual or individuals out there that have not contacted our investigators or given information that they may have, and we're asking those person or persons to come forward," Alexandra said. 

Hodgins said the RCMP would not share whether they have identified any suspects.

'What is the point in waiting so long?'

Last June, the province said it was committed to rebuilding the school. But back at the fire hall, parents say they have not heard any update in months. 

"The last couple of months have just been the same sort of feeling of just sort of frustration," Megan MacDonald, the parent of a student in Grade 2, said, adding she hopes the province can speed up the building process.

"What is the point in waiting so long? I don't really care, at this point, what type of rebuild it is."

On Monday, a spokesperson for B.C.'s Ministry of Education and Child Care said in an email the provincial government is in caretaker mode until after the Oct. 19 election and will not comment. 

Tomi Ajele, a B.C. NDP spokesperson, said it is committed to rebuilding the school at the same location. According to the party, the rebuilding process is underway and moving "as quickly as possible."

"In the year since the tragic fire that destroyed Hazel Trembath Elementary, many families have shared the impact of the fire and the disruption it caused for our community, as well as the importance of making sure the school is rebuilt," Ajele said in an email. "We need a new school and a new playground for this community."

The B.C. Green Party and B.C. Conservative Party did not respond to requests for comment. 

Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West said he's frustrated that progress on the school is taking so long. 

"I really don't know what more it's going to take," West said. "We've had letters. We've had petitions. We've had meetings. We've had rallies. We keep hearing the same thing: 'Don't worry, it's going to be rebuilt.' But we haven't seen any action. And that's the part that's really frustrating."