The New Westminster board of education is grateful for the continued support of the city in helping pave the way for new schools.
Jonina Campbell, chair of the school board, appeared before city council March 17 to express gratitude to the city’s for “another successful partnership” in bringing forward a second new school project.
“It is a shared site. That has require us to work together in order to make that happen,” she said. “We have a compressed timeline. We have to finish this off in 18 months.”
Campbell noted the compressed timeline for the new Ecole Fraser River Middle School may have meant additional work for city staff. She also noted that the city has contributed additional dollars, which allows the school district to create a larger gym in the school than it would have been able to do on its own.
Architect Mark Mathiasen of GHM Architects Inc. said the design includes a provision, as requested by the city, for space for a future washroom to be built by the city.
Mathiasen said the field isn’t an adult-sized play field, but has been deemed by city staff to be suitable for the city’s needs. He noted that the site’s extreme grades caused some budget issues as to how much bigger the field could be.
Coun. Betty McIntosh said the community would expect some sort of heritage feature at the school because John Robson is an old school.
Mathiasen said architects felt it would be a “great idea” to take the cupola and bring it to the ground as a feature.
“At this time, I am not sure the budget is there to support it,” he said.
According to a city report, a revised landscape plan isn’t complete. Staff expects the plan will include elements that reference the existing elementary school, which was built in 1928.
The staff report states that saving and restoring the school’s cupola exceeds the school district’s budget, as it’s estimated to cost $250,000. (This is the dome feature on John Robson Elementary School.)
Coun. Jonathan Cote said the community is “eagerly anticipating” the new school, and he appreciates that the diagonal path through the John Robson site will be retained.
“It is an important connection between two different neighbourhoods that is well used,” he said.
