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CRAWFORD BAY – Students, parents, caregivers, teachers and district staff celebrated the official opening of the new environmentally friendly Crawford Bay Elementary-Secondary school, Education Minister Shirley Bond announced today.
“We committed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold building standards, which can save up to 60 per cent on energy costs and significantly reduce the school’s carbon footprint,” said Bond. “Schools like Crawford Bay Elementary-Secondary school are helping us to lead the world in sustainable environmental management.”
Government invested $12.7 million to build Crawford Bay, a kindergarten to Grade 12 school with a capacity of 190. The new school is heated and cooled by a system of 28,000 feet of geo-thermal pipes that were laid under the 17-acre site. The school was built with many other energy-conscious features:
· Daylight light-sensing lighting system.
· Motion-activated and carbon-detection activated lighting.
· Installation of a wetland rather than a septic system.
Crawford Bay features a full gymnasium and a theatre. Building materials were locally sourced wherever possible, including the timber for this all-wood school.
Crawford Bay Elementary-Secondary includes many community amenities. There is a fully equipped fitness centre and a separate classroom that will be used as a playschool. These additions were built with money raised through community fundraising.
“This school is truly the heart of our community,” said board of education chair Bill Maslechko. “With an innovative and energy-conscious design, this new school will be a tremendously positive and much-used addition to the Crawford Bay area.”
Since 2001, the Province has invested $25.5 million in the Kootenay Lake school district. During that time the Province has spent over $1.4 billion to complete 74 new and replacement schools, 147 additions, 25 renovation projects and 20 site acquisitions across B.C. All new and replacement schools have been constructed to meet the latest seismic standards.
By
the end of 2008/09, the Province will have committed more than $3.1 billion in school capital and
maintenance projects across the province. As outlined by Premier Gordon Campbell, all new school construction
projects will include B.C. wood in their construction
whenever possible.
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contact: |
Ministry of Education 250 356-5963 |
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