A government decision about the Burnaby high school most at risk of “widespread damage or structural failure” during an earthquake may be just weeks away, according to local school officials.
The school district submitted a detailed $79-million business case this spring for a total replacement of Burnaby North Secondary, and there are indications a decision on the project may be imminent, according to school board chair Gary Wong.
He pointed to a request for proposal already posted online for an architect to design the new building.
“We’re very near to being able to make the announcement,” he told the NOW.
In 2004, all local schools built before 1992 were assessed to see how well they would stand up to "the big one" - a catastrophic quake predicted by geologists when pressure built up between the Juan de Fuca and North American tectonic plates for the last 300 years suddenly releases.
Twenty-four School District No. 41 schools were deemed to be at high or moderate risk of damage during a major quake.
The entire campus of 60-year-old Burnaby North is currently rated High 1, a designation assigned to the “most vulnerable” structures at “highest risk of widespread damage or structural failure; not reparable after event.”
“It is our Number 1 priority for seismic replacement,” secretary-treasurer Russell Horswill told the NOW. “Burnaby North is a large school with a large population and had an H1 rating on it, so, when we were prioritizing our various seismic projects, we saw that as our highest priority.”
Despite an announcement by the previous BC Liberal government that work on North would begin in 2014/15, the district didn’t get the green light to submit a detailed business case for the project until March 2017, according to Horswill.
For each seismic project, he said the province requires districts to explore and cost out three options: strengthening the existing structure, partial replacement of the school’s highest risk areas and full replacement.
“Generally speaking, the government pursues the least-cost option,” Horswill said. “When they do that, they look at both the capital cost and the life-cycle cost of the building over 40 years. So, how much is it going to cost to maintain it and all that stuff? In Burnaby North’s case, the request that we have for a replacement school was the lowest-cost option.”
Seismic mitigation projects in School District No. 41 as of September 2018:
Completed:
Alpha Secondary
Brantford Elementary
Burnaby Central Secondary
Capitol Hill Elementary
Cariboo Hill Secondary
Chaffey-Burke Elementary
Douglas Road Elementary
Edmonds Community
Gilmore Community Elementary
Montecito Elementary
Under construction:
Armstrong Elementary
Business case development:
Burnaby North Secondary
Parkcrest Elementary
Seaforth Elementary
Stride Avenue Elementary
Future priorities:
Cascade Heights Elementary
Glenwood Elementary
Kitchener Elementary
Marlborough Elementary
Maywood Community
Moscrop Secondary
Rosser Elementary
Stoney Creek Elementary
