The much-anticipated opening of the new Skwo:wech Elementary School has become a case of “so close, and yet so far.”
The new, $35-million school, which is currently under construction on the school’s Richmond Street site, is set to replace the former Richard McBride Elementary. The district had hoped to have it open before the winter break so students could start class in the brand-new facility in January.
But, after COVID-19-related supply-chain challenges were then magnified by the impact of the B.C. floods, the school district announced in November that the move-in date had been delayed until some time in the new year.
Now the district says it will likely be after spring break before students and staff can make the move.
Dave Crowe, the district’s director of capital projects, gave an update to trustees at the school board meeting on Tuesday night (Jan. 18).
Crowe said the interior of the new building has achieved multiple major milestones, including activation of the heating system, installation of lighting and completion of tiling in the washrooms.
The exterior, however, has hit some snags related to COVID-19.
Supply-chain issues are part of the problem; Crowe said one of the small but significant items that’s holding the project up is exterior door hinges. Exacerbating the situation is the availability of labour, since Crowe said a “significant number” of people working on the project have been out with COVID since the Omicron surge began.
Plus, Mother Nature decided to get in on the act and throw a couple of weather-related delays into the mix.
“We were ready to install curbs and pathways and pavement and stuff, and of course the ground was frozen solid,” Crowe said. “That slowed us down.”
Crowe said it’s “extremely difficult” for the project team to provide a definitive schedule since he gets new information daily – and even hourly – as the situation changes.
But he told trustees he’d provide a timeline for the board and the community as soon as possible.
Just don’t expect that to be in the immediate future.
“We will not be looking at any sort of a move-in prior to spring break,” Crowe said.
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