Excavation and foundation work is well underway on the new Eric Langton Elementary school.
Foundation work is finished near the 122 Avenue pedestrian access way, which just reopened on Wednesday, Oct. 23. The pathway has been widened, as part of the work and was closed for about a month while the work was being done.
The school district received a permit from Fortis BC on Thursday, Sept. 19, when work on the new school began.
According to Station One Architects, the company in charge of building and designing the school, said the new two-storey steel-frame school will replace the existing school and will have the capacity to accommodate 680 kindergarten to Grade 7 students, 215 more seats than there is currently.
The building will also include a Neighbourhood Learning Centre (NLC) to allow for a wide range of community programs, and a Strong Start program adjacent to the NLC.
Extensive consultation with the school community, the City of Maple Ridge and members of the public informed the design process, noted the company.
Discussions with the Katzie First Nation have inspired a number of design decisions like the use of the seven ancestral teachings highlighting the significance of animals. These elements, said the company, will be incorporated throughout the building. Reading nooks will mimic a bear claw or a turtle shell, and using site layouts and curved glass to mimic a lizard tail – the school mascot.
Station One explained it will also be engaging a local Indigenous artist to "further collaborate on these designs and to ensure they are incorporated appropriately into the site and building."
The province is contributing $46.4 million to the project, in addition to $2.5 million from the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows School District.
Currently there is no parking just off 227 Street along where the construction access point is located.
The school district is still talking with the City of Maple Ridge to create a temporary parking area just off 227th Street to address the needs of families at pickup and drop-off.
Site preparation began mid-May 2024.
The new school is expected to be open by January 2026, and will also include the construction of a new play field.