Christy Clark Gives $584 Million To Seismically Upgrade Schools

By April 8, 2013Valley News

Premier Christy Clark announced more than $584 million to seismically upgrade 45 high-risk schools today, marking a significant milestone in government’s commitment to student safety.

“Absolutely nothing is more important than keeping our kids safe.

Today we’re two-thirds of the way to meeting our commitment to

seismically upgrading all high-risk schools in B.C.,” said Premier

Clark. “This investment means parents sending their kids to 45 more

high-risk schools know they will be able to withstand a major

earthquake.”

The School Seismic Mitigation Program is an ongoing program to address

all high-risk school buildings. With these 45 new projects, a total of

213 schools have either been completed, are under construction, are

proceeding to construction, or have been supported through the

program. That leaves 102 high-priority schools to be addressed.

“It’s a significant challenge to upgrade each and every high-risk

school throughout British Columbia, but the progress we’ve made so far

is fantastic,” said Education Minister Don McRae. “Leading experts in

this area continue to seek information on our work, our research on

seismic safety, and we take great pride in knowing our innovations are

being used to keep kids safe both here and across North America.”

First launched in 2004, the School Seismic Mitigation Program is

backed by leading B.C. engineers and geoscientists who designed new

guidelines for seismic safety in schools based on the latest research

from major earthquakes around the globe. In 2010, these experts used

these guidelines and new assessment tools to conduct a comprehensive

reassessment leading to a more accurate picture of seismic safety

risks in B.C. schools.

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