Students and staff, along with government officials and board trustees gathered to formally announce the completed expansion of Hammond Bay Elementary School this morning.
The expansion will be able to hold an additional 295 students, and according to Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District board chair Greg Keller, 12 new classrooms will be opened to provide a positive learning environment.
According to School District 68’s website, the new expansion will include one kindergarten room, one special education room, and one multi-purpose room as well as improvements to their parking lot, accessibility, and consideration for diversity.
The project also included the relocation of four portables.
Keller says he is proud of the investments made in the district and knows there is still much more to do in the district.
“This expansion is the result of a provincial government that continues to make investments that provide better education experiences for students,” Keller says.
Jane Mortimor, a Grade 7 student at Hammond Bay, says she has seen a positive change, and this has changed her outlook on education.
“It is such a nice place to learn, and I am excited to come to school every day to be in this wonderful place,” she says. “The new building is stylish. I still can’t believe this is our school.”
Mortimor says her last year at the school, with the new design, will help prepare her for the future as well as new students who enroll at Hammond Bay.
“I think the break-out rooms will be a great way to connect and learn,” she says.
Wilmer Wang, another student, says learning conditions in the expansion have improved dramatically.
“It is a lot cleaner and more spacious,” he says. “We are definitely more comfortable here, in a climate-controlled environment.”
MLA Sheila Malcomson says funding in education in the region, and across the province, is critical with more people moving to the region and preparations need to be made to accommodate the increasing numbers.
“More and more people are choosing Nanaimo because it’s so great for families,” she says. “This means we need more space in schools. We all want students to have space for learning.”
The expansion started in 2019 and cost $15 million to complete.
According to a media release, the government of BC has invested $3.9 billion for new and improved schools, as well as land purchases for future schools in BC.
