Port Moody to call on province to reform school planning in face of housing supply push

Port Moody council is calling on the province to overhaul how it plans and funds schools, warning that communities facing mandated housing growth are being left without the infrastructure to support new families.

On June 10, council unanimously approved a motion to be submitted to the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention this September, urging the province align school construction timelines with population growth targets imposed under the Housing Supply Act and transit-oriented development legislation.

“This is not the first time I’ve brought up the challenges . . . not just for cities with SkyTrain stations, but even ones with small transit hubs,” said Coun. Callan Morrison, who authored the motion. “The province rolled bills 44 and 47 out with really no consultation with local municipalities.”

Morrison warned that cities like Port Moody, designated under the Housing Supply Act to meet ambitious housing targets, are being forced to grow without corresponding plans for essential services like schools, hospitals, and supportive housing.

“If they’re going to force and mandate housing numbers upon our cities, they need to make sure they’re providing all the provisions: health care as well as schools, by the time those are due,” he said. “This motion is written to highlight just one of the challenges.”

The motion, which will now head to UBCM for consideration, calls on the province to move away from its reactive, enrollment-based approach to school planning and instead fund new schools based on projected growth and legislated population targets.

The current approach, council argued, creates long delays in school construction that leave students and families in overcrowded facilities or with long commutes to neighbouring communities.

Coun. Kyla Knowles said council has raised these concerns repeatedly, including in meetings with two separate provincial education ministers.

“We are meeting regularly with our school district board – I can tell you, they are just as frustrated as we are,” she said. “If we have to keep beating this drum every year, then so be it, because our students and our kids deserve the best.”

Knowles also questioned provincial spending priorities, referencing recent reports about the growth of public sector employees, and noting the strain on local services. 

“It’s really hard when communities like ours are struggling to provide affordable housing, sufficient doctors, health care and schools.”

Coun. Samantha Agtarap called for planning innovation, stating the old ways were “no longer good enough.”

She pointed out that delays often mean schools are full the day they open.

“There is an opportunity to move forward in such a way that we’re not behind the eight ball always,” she said.

Port Moody’s resolution will be circulated to the ministries of education and municipal affairs, and joins what Morrison hopes will be a chorus of similar calls from other municipalities at this year’s UBCM.

“I certainly hope that this is not the only version of this motion being put forward,” he said. “It does affect so many.”

Anticipating similar resolutions will be brought to UBCM by other B.C. municipalities, Agtarap suggested council find joint sponsors to add weight to the request.

The motion reflects a growing frustration among Port Moody councillors regarding the province’s long-term planning around school capacity.

Many of the concerns were recently raised after the Coquitlam School District submitted its school site proposal for approval. After attempting to reject the proposal, council had to reverse course after the district warned of potential provincial intervention.