Beach Drive Project Update October 2018

We continue to look forward with great anticipation to the completion of the new Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten Pavilions and the freshly renovated Boathouse. These buildings will enhance teaching, learning and enjoyment and also reduce the school’s environmental footprint with green roofs and a number of passive heating and cooling features.

Unfortunately, progress toward the completion of the Pavilions and the Boathouse has encountered a series of unpredictable and unavoidable circumstances that will delay our planned opening in January. As those of you who have built or renovated your own home will know, complications often arise that impede progress and, despite our best efforts, we too are facing many of the same challenges. The current building boom in the CRD has led to a significant shortage of tradespeople, making scheduling very complex and significantly impacting the completion of many of the project’s components. The busy construction climate is also creating bottlenecks that prevent on-time delivery of materials. Finally, the requirement for ongoing negotiation with the municipality about several conditions that could not be anticipated is also slowing our progress. We remain confident both the JK and K Pavilions and the Boathouse will be completed well before the end of the school year, at which point we will relocate students from the Science Block to allow for the start of Phase Two. This in turn will allow for the demolition of the Science Block in advance of the final four Learning Pavilions being installed during summer holidays. Throughout the process, ensuring that students are safe and minimizing disruptions to student learning and enjoyment will remain our key priorities.