ItB次元官网网址檚 been a month and a half since the province announced funding for two new West Shore high schools, and Sooke School District superintendent Jim Cambridge is starting to imagine what the new buildings could look like.
In the new year, SD 62 will ask for public input into the design of the new schools. But for now, school district staff and trustees wanted to see firsthand what type of school could be built with an expected budget of $50 million per school.
Last week, Cambridge and his colleagues were on the Mainland for a training course for the new trustees, and they made time to visit two modern new schools: Burnaby Central, which was built for $50.6 million and opened this fall for a student population of 1,300; and Abbotsford Collegiate, a $45-million Neighbourhood Learning Centre slated to open next year for 1,200 students.
B次元官网网址淚t was energizing to walk through the schools and think, B次元官网网址榳e could have this in Colwood and Langford,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Cambridge said.
Belmont will be replaced with two new high schools B次元官网网址� one on the site of Glen Lake elementary and one on the Royal Bay land.
Like all new schools in the province, the West Shore schools will be built to a LEED Gold environmental standard. Touring Mainland schools gave Cambridge an idea of what that looks like.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 lots of innovative energy-saving elements,B次元官网网址� he said, citing for example hall lights that automatically dim while classes are in session and water fountains with nozzles for filling reusable bottles. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e small things, but theyB次元官网网址檙e great ideas.B次元官网网址�
He also noticed the schools had a lot of natural light and were centered around flexible student-centred gathering spaces. B次元官网网址淭he schools were just nice to be in,B次元官网网址� Cambridge said.
Both new West Shore schools will follow the community learning centre model, where the school district will partner with municipalities to build facilities for students and the public.
The school at Glen Lake, for example, will use Goudy and Bear Mountain turf fields rather than building its own sports fields. The Royal Bay school will likely have a theatre space for student and community use.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l be asking for the publicB次元官网网址檚 input on what other sort of public amenities theyB次元官网网址檇 like to see in the schools,B次元官网网址� Cambridge said, suggesting a shared medical clinic or library could be possible options.
SD62 is in the process of hiring a consultant to begin that consultation in January. ItB次元官网网址檚 already hired a firm to provide the ministry of education with technical specifications required for the new schools, which will be used to better estimate the budget for the project.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of people are working very hard behind the scenes to keep moving this project along,B次元官网网址� Cambridge said.
As for the existing Belmont site, the land will be sold to help finance the two new schools. Langford Mayor Stew Young envisions high density and highrises on the site B次元官网网址� giving its Langford B次元官网网址渃ity centre.B次元官网网址�
Young is thinking 10 and 20 years down the road, but said the Belmont property is the future core of Langford.
The land has potential for buildings 10 to 30 storeys, he said, making it a key economic generator in upcoming decades. He sees that area as an economic rival to downtown Victoria.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been waiting to get the Belmont land. (The new schools project) is great for the kids and its a great economic generator for the future,B次元官网网址� Young said. B次元官网网址淭hat is the city centre site there. That is the future.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址攚ith files from Edward Hill
news@goldstreamgazette.com
