Vanguard Secondary will be getting a $3.7 million seismic upgrade that will also add two new classrooms and a multipurpose room to the Otter-area school.
The announcement Wednesday at Vanguard, at 244th Street and Fraser Highway, began with a welcome by Kwantlen First Nation elders Cheryl Gabriel and Lekeyten.
“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Gabriel said.
She said three family members had been through Vanguard and its predecessor schools, learning strength and resiliency.
Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside made the official announcement of the upgrade.
“We expect the construction to begin soon, and to be completed in 2023,” she said.
Students will remain on site during the reconstruction and expansion.
“By making these significant investments in education, we can ensure that students are welcomed into safe, modern, and inspiring places to learn for years to come,” Whiteside said.
READ ALSO: Surrey employer fined $20,000 for knowingly exposing workers to asbestos
Vanguard Secondary is a special program in the Langley School District, helping students who have issues with mental health, trauma, or substance abuse to get an education.
Langley’s school board chair Rod Ross noted the school’s special purpose.
“This is more than a school,” Ross said. “It is a place of trust for our students.”
The school follows “trauma-informed practices” in its education.
Whiteside spent part of the morning at Vanguard meeting students and visiting classrooms.
The @bcedplan has invested in the Langley School District for a partial seismic replacement at Vanguard Secondary, as well as a land purchase for potential future school sites in the Willoughby Slope. Read more: https://t.co/k16f6XCeRo#Think35 pic.twitter.com/nXHj8D3dju
— Langley Schools (@LangleySchools) April 14, 2022
The seismic upgrade will be an opportunity for the school to expand and create a new gathering place for future school events.
It’s also part of a province-wide campaign to seismically upgrade school buildings to better survive withstand earthquakes.
Since 2017, the province has put more than $1.2 billion into seismic upgrades and replacements at B.C. schools. The program was also underway before the NDP government came to power, under the previous Liberal government.
A recent report showed that 199 schools had seen their upgrades completed, 28 are under construction, five are about to start construction, and 250 are future priorities.
In Langley, Belmont Elementary, Fort Langley Elementary, Langley Fine Arts School, Langley Secondary, and Peterson Road Elementary have already received seismic upgrades.
Have a story tip? Email: matthew.claxton@langleyadvancetimes.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.