Premier Christy Clark announced another round of funding to make B.C.'s schools more structurally sound in the event of a major earthquake, and three Burnaby schools are now slated for upgrades.
On Monday, the province announced funding for seismic upgrades at Montecito Elementary, Burnaby North Secondary and Stride Avenue Elementary.
In all, the government has committed more than $584 million over three years for 45 high-priority projects, including the three in Burnaby.
"We all know the dangers of living in an active seismic zone. I am pleased to see Burnaby North Secondary is on the list for improvement in the immediate future. These seismic projects will make sure that, in an event of an earthquake, our students will be protected," said Burnaby North MLA Richard Lee, in a press release.
The program, introduced nearly a decade ago, is backed by leading B.C. engineers and geoscientists who designed new guidelines for seismic safety in schools, according to the government press release. Roughly two-thirds of B.C. schools identified as "high-risk" in the event of an earthquake are undergoing construction.
Since 2001, the B.C. government has invested more than $192 million to complete 16 capital and seismic projects in the Burnaby school district, the release stated.
The provincial government is estimating another $600 million is needed to address the remaining 102 high-risk schools.
