Construction work has begun at École Côte du Soleil, the French school in Powell River run by School District 93 (SD93) out of Richmond, BC.
According to Sylvain Allison, secretary-treasurer of SD93, the school is undergoing a seismic upgrade.
“The school was identified as at-risk,” said Allison.
According to a press release from the BC Ministry of Education, the upgrades will safeguard students and staff in the event of an earthquake.
The school was built in 1948/49 and officially opened in 1950. Because of the age of the school, workers are dealing with some hazardous material, said Allison.
“There is hazardous material,” he said. “Most of it, not everywhere, is asbestos in the school. That’s why the HazMat team is on location to take care of all the asbestos particles that could be in the air.”
In some cases, asbestos can be toxic. Breathing in asbestos fibres can cause cancer and other diseases, such as asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.
According to Allison, however, students and teachers are not at risk.
“No, they are not at risk,” he said. “That’s why the HazMat team is on location and we are meeting the requirements of the WCB as well.”
The ministry release stated that upgrades will be done on the gymnasium and classrooms.
Construction is slated to take about 14 months and students will remain in school during the upgrades. The school has approximately 100 students.
“The total project is $2.8 million,” said Allison. “We are planning to finish by the end of October.”
