Construction has begun on the new and expanded Glenmerry Elementary school in Trail, worth $39 million.
The new school will increase capacity with an additional 165 seats, bringing the total from 270 to 435 to keep pace with growing enrolment, the Ministry of Education said in a news release.
Students will be able to continue using the existing school during construction, with the new school expected to be ready for students in the spring of 2024.
“It’s wonderful to see that students in Trail will soon have a new and expanded elementary school,” Kootenay West MLA Katrine Conroy said in the release.
“The neighbourhood learning centre will further support families in the area by providing them with before- and after-school care. These are the kind of investments that make a positive impact on families.”
The school will be built according to LEED Gold standards and will include measures to make the building more energy efficient and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Its neighbourhood learning centre will provide additional space for community programming.
“We are excited to break ground on the replacement for Glenmerry Elementary school,” said Catherine Zaitsoff, board chair for the Kootenay-Columbia school district.
“With a community and sustainability focus, the Trail community and the school district look forward to the culmination of years of hard work and the difference this school will make when it opens.”
The current Glenmerry Elementary opened in 1959.
