SD68 Superintendent Scott Saywell presided over an $18.8 million provincial funding announcement on Friday, June 19, for seismic upgrades to Cilaire and Pleasant Valley elementary schools. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

QUAKE CASH

Four Nanaimo schools receiving nearly $19 million for upgrades, including seismic

Jun 19, 2020 | 12:48 PM

NANAIMO — Four schools in Nanaimo are set to benefit from a large cash injection for seismic and other upgrades.

Both Cilaire and Pleasant Valley elementary schools are the focus for $18.8 million in provincial funding to upgrade school buildings to a higher level of safety.

Kelsey Bakewell, facilities manager with Nanaimo-Ladysmith Public Schools, said the two schools were at the top of their priority list.

“Both schools will be getting shear walls put in to make them more structurally sound, we’re looking at roofing diaphragms,” Bakewell said. “We’re going to build them to a higher life safety point seismically.”

Other work at Cilaire includes seismic upgrades to the gym, door frames and second storey of the building. Crews at Pleasant Valley will focus on the outside to help the buildings better resist earthquakes.

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Bakewell added the benefits to the schools will go beyond seismic upgrades and allow the district to coax more life out of the facilities.

“With Cilaire, there’s going to be upgrades on the inside, on the walls so all of these will breathe more life to the school,” Bakewell said. “For Pleasant valley, there will be a bit of a building envelope upgrade so all of these things do positively affect the school in more ways than just seismic.”

Construction is set to begin at Cilaire and Pleasant Valley next summer and the project is expected to be complete in time for the 2022/23 school year.

Also included in the funding are largely cosmetic upgrades to the seldom-used Woodlands Secondary and Rutherford Elementary, which will host students from Cilaire and Pleasant Valley during construction.

Woodlands currently hosts the district’s learning alternatives program, while Rutherford Elementary is unoccupied.

Work on those facilities will begin in January 2021. Bakewell said the upgrades mean the district can use the facilities as a ‘revolving door’.

“We are planning to use Rutherford and Woodlands for other seismic projects similar to this one, we’ll be able to move students out of the school so the construction activities don’t disrupt any classes.”

alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @NanaimoNewsNOW