On day 218 of the New Westminster Secondary School demolition project, the exterior walls started – slowly – tumbling down.
A demolition excavator took down the first exterior walls of the old school on Wednesday, starting with a section in the Pearson wing, in an area near the gymnasium and cafeteria. Until Wednesday, demolition work had focused on the interior of the Pearson wing, including the removal of hazardous waste (asbestos) and interior walls.
A night before the exterior demolition got underway, the New Westminster school board received a report and update from staff about the NWSS hazardous materials abatement, demolition and restorative works at its operations committee meeting.
Dave Crowe, the district’s director of capital projects, said demolition of the school is 55 to 60 per cent complete. He said the project is on schedule to be complete by the end of 2023.
Demolition of the Pearson wing (the part closest to 10th Avenue) is expected to take a few weeks. As the building is demolished, materials will be sorted into different categories, including metal and wood (which will be recycled) and general waste.
“The contractor will salvage wood, to the extent feasible, during demolition,” said a staff report. “Wood products that cannot be salvaged for re-use will be disposed at wood recycling facilities for re-purposing. The Massey Theatre Society has made an agreement … to acquire timbers from the school for construction of a new welcome centre planned for the front of the theater. Salvage of other miscellaneous produces is ongoing.”
Along with demolition of the Pearson wing, hazmat abatement is also continuing in the Massey wing of the old New Westminster Secondary School.
