October 1, 2009
Official Groundbreaking for New, Greener BCSS

BURNABY - Burnaby North MLA Richard T. Lee and Burnaby-Lougheed MLA Harry Bloy joined district officials at a groundbreaking ceremony today to mark the start of construction on a new $50.6-million Burnaby Central Secondary school that will incorporate a cutting edge green, energy-saving design.

"The construction we have started today will lead to a state-of-the-art school that is seismically sound, environmentally friendly and energy efficient," said Lee. "Projects like this help support education in our province and provide work opportunities for British Columbians. From start to finish, the Burnaby Secondary project will sustain up to 323 jobs."

Burnaby Central was built in 1957 and has undergone four additions since that time. Partial renovation and seismic upgrades were considered, but studies determined that replacement was the most cost effective long-term option. The new $50.6-million school will be built to meet the latest seismic and environmental standards.

"When construction is complete, this school will meet LEED Gold or equivalent standards," said Bloy. "Energy-conscious design elements will help the board of education achieve a cost savings of up to 40 per cent."

Burnaby Central Secondary's environmental footprint will be reduced considerably as a result of the use of an energy-efficient geothermal heat pump system that's designed to supply all of the heating and half of the domestic water heating for the building. The use of a central water-to-water heat pump system provides the added no cost advantage of air conditioning every main zone in the school.

"This project is part of our 15-year seismic mitigation program and meets the dual goals of enhancing school safety and creating sustainable green school buildings," said Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid. "Despite these challenging economic times, we will continue working with districts to ensure that high-priority seismic projects get completed in a way that is both timely and responsible."

The new school will have a capacity of 1300 students and is expected to be ready to be occupied in 2011, at which point the existing school will be demolished.

"The replacement of Burnaby Central will not only ensure that our students are located in safe and secure facilities, but will also enhance their educational experiences in a new and exciting learning environment with energy and technology systems that best meet the needs of today's learners," said Burnaby board of education chair Diana Mumford.

Since 2001, the Province has spent more than $65.5 million in the Burnaby school district to complete seven capital projects. During that same time, the Province has spent more than $1.5 billion to complete 75 new and replacement schools, 147 additions, 26 renovation projects and 20 site acquisitions across B.C. All new and replacement schools have been constructed to meet the latest seismic standards.

In addition, the Province has provided a total of $25 million over the last five years to school districts in seismic zones to complete "non-structural" seismic work. This includes such work as attaching cabinets to walls, covering windows with protective film and securing lights. By the end of 2009-10, the Province will have committed more than $3.8 billion in school capital and maintenance projects.

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