You inherit the good and the bad when you are a new government replacing one that has been in office for 16 years.
The good is fairly obvious – a whopping surplus in the bank. The bad is often less obvious and rolls out over time.
Take, for example, an issue that is close to our hearts here in New Westminster: seismic upgrading of schools.
The decision to rebuild or retrofit Richard McBride Elementary to make it safer in case of an earthquake apparently currently rests with the Treasury Board.
Given that the Ministry of Education, when the B.C. Liberals were in power, said the decision was to be finalized in spring of 2016, we’re now in overtime. And overtime, where the potential for loss of life is concerned, is not a good place to be.
The 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico this past week should, once again, remind us all that we cannot keep putting off getting our schools fixed.
Videos of Mexican citizens trying to rescue children from a crumbled school are heart-wrenching. The death toll is still growing and will include some of those schoolchildren.
Earthquake zones do not recognize national borders, and we are well aware here in B.C. that we are overdue for the big one.
If a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck here, we suspect McBride would suffer severe damage, if not collapse in areas.
Unfortunately, McBride is in a bit of a catch-22. The best financial option is probably to simply build a new school.
In 2016, an upgrade was estimated to cost $18 million. While a new school would cost much more, it would be built to modern earthquake standards and provide a modern and better learning environment with a potential for much-needed community-use space.
No one can fault the B.C. NDP for inheriting a to-do list of important items that deserved more attention.
But that was then and this is now.
We need the McBride decision now.
Even if the Treasury Board gave the green light for a new school tomorrow, it would be years before one was built. Let’s not gamble with nature or our children’s lives.
