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| Backgrounder(s) & FactSheet(s): | Factsheet |
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| Backgrounder(s) & FactSheet(s): | Factsheet |
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VANCOUVER – The Province will invest more than $2 million for a seismic assessment of all public schools in high-risk earthquake zones as part of a comprehensive plan to help keep students safe, Education Minister Tom Christensen announced today.
“We want to make sure our schools are safe for kids, so we have already invested $71 million for seismic upgrades to schools over the past four years,” said Christensen. “Additionally, last year’s school capital projects budget included a further $19 million for seismic upgrading. Today’s $2 million investment will improve safety by helping identify more schools that need seismic upgrading, and we will be announcing further capital funding in the weeks to come.”
In the first phase of the assessment, engineers will assess as many as 800 schools in the 39 school districts that lie within high-risk seismic zones. The assessments will be completed between June and October, allowing the Ministry of Education to prepare a long-range plan this fall.
The seismic assessments will be done with a new tool developed in consultation with partner groups, including the University of British Columbia and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (APEGBC). The results will be compiled provincewide and will allow the ministry to ensure that the schools with the highest seismic risks are upgraded as quickly as possible.
The second phase of the assessment will help identify ways to make school buildings even safer. The Province is providing $185,000 to APEGBC through the UBC engineering department to coordinate research on seismic upgrades and to deliver a training program for engineers who conduct seismic assessments.
“This research will make B.C. a world leader in seismic improvements,” said Christensen. “We’re working with school districts, engineers, researchers and parents so that we can make sure our children are learning in a safe place.”
“Parents throughout the province are concerned about the risks of seismic damage to schools,” said Terri Watson, President of the BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils. “Our organization has called for a plan to complete all upgrades of schools at risk of seismic damage within 10 to 15 years. This assessment is an excellent step towards meeting that goal.”
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For information on AchieveBC, visit http://www.achievebc.ca. To view a map of school districts within high-risk seismic zones, follow the links to Getting Involved with Your School, then select School Safety.
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