Students at Eric Langton Elementary performed a drumming song called 'My Ancestors' Monday afternoon to mark the official start of construction on the expansion of their school.
The construction site area is now fenced off to the north of the existing school, with the main access to Eric Langton now only from Edge Street.
Making the announcement on Monday were: Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care; Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Bob D'Eith; Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows MLA Lisa Beare; SD42 school board chair Elaine Yamamoto, and Eric Langton Elementary principal Brandy McIntyre.
The project – which the province is contributing $46.4 million to, in addition to the $2.5 million from the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows School District – will create 215 additional seats at the school, bringing its capacity to 680, as well as create a seismically safer environment.
Throughout the design process, the school district has been working with the Katzie First Nation to include elements that reflect the Indigenous ways of knowing, like the importance of storytelling, traditional ecological knowledge, and local teachings, in order to establish a connection between the school and the land.
The school is going to be built to LEED gold standards and include energy-saving measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A neighbourhood learning centre will be included in the seismic replacement and expansion project, which will be used to provide services, such as child care, and for community groups to deliver support services and programming in Maple Ridge.
Yamamoto thanked the province and the ministry for their investment in the project, noting that the additional classroom spaces are "much-needed" and the neighbourhood learning centre and child care facility will benefit families and children, beyond the immediate school community.
McIntyre noted that as the community continues to grow, the current school can, "no longer effectively meet its needs."
“This new facility will help us continue to foster the important connections that define our school. We appreciate very much all the hard work that has gone into understanding the vision and needs of our community including the invaluable input from the Katzie First Nation,” she said to everyone gathered for the announcement including City of Maple Ridge Mayor Dan Ruimy, a number of city councillors, school board trustees, SD42 superintendent Teresa Downs, and other community and teacher representatives.
"I'm proud that our government continues to make important investments in seismic upgrades and school expansions in B.C.," said the Minister of Education and Child Care.
"Schools just like Eric Langton will offer safer, more spacious learning environments for years to come because of this governments commitment to invest in growing communities," continued Singh.
Other school projects are still on the go. Beare is expecting "good news in the coming weeks" about the progress of the Pitt Meadows Secondary School replacement project, with funding announced in March 2023 by the Ministry of Education and Child Care.
“Approval for the school was announced last year and in this year the school board and the ministry have been going back and forth on finalizing the business case," explained Beare, noting, the final business case was submitted at the end of April, and is with the ministry for approval now.
The initial business case for the Harry Hooge project is expected to be submitted to the ministry sometime between September and December this year, however, additional revisions may be required following the submission, said Louie Girotto, director of facilities with SD42. This project will see capacity increased at the school from 465 students to 680, with an estimated cost of $16.8 million.
The 2024 provincial budget includes $3.75 billion for school capital projects over the next three years, money for new and expanded schools, seismic upgrades and replacements, and land purchases for schools.
"It's very exciting to be breaking ground on a brand new safer, bigger school at Eric Langton Elementary, which will be such an important addition to our community," said Bob DEith, MLA for Maple Ridge-Mission.
During construction of the project, students who attend the Environmental School at James Best Centre, can access the centre from 227th Street, on Edge Street, or on 122 Avenue. Pedestrian access from the school to 122 Avenue is expected to be maintained,.
Construction vehicles will be accessing the construction site from 227 Street and they may on occasion have to access the construction site from Edge Street from 7-7:30 a.m. on school days, and non-instructional days, including weekends.
Pick-up and drop-off at the school will not be impacted, although, the school district noted, there may be an increase in traffic at varying times.
The project, which was initially expected to be completed by the fall of 2025, has been extended to January, 2026.
