‘We absolutely will be rebuilding Hazel Trembath;’ School district looks to future after fire guts elementary school

With hazardous fumes lingering over the burned-out shell of Hazel Trembath, School District #43 is moving ahead with plans to shift the entire student population to Winslow Centre later this week.

A fire swept through the Confederation Drive school after 3 a.m. on Saturday morning, engulfing the structure and leaving the elementary school in ruins. Police consider the blaze suspicious, according to a release from Coquitlam RCMP.

Police are asking residents to avoid the area, “due to potentially hazardous air quality caused by the fire.”

The fire left students, teachers, and neighbours “shocked and devastated,” said school district board chair Michael Thomas.

“This is just such a tragic loss for this small, tight-knit community,” Thomas said.

Speaking to the Dispatch on Sunday, Thomas emphasized the importance of maintaining community ties. Students will have the same teachers and the same classes at Winslow they had at Hazel, he said.

“It was really important to us that we be able to keep all ten divisions togethers in the same building,” Thomas said. “The last thing we wanted to do was put one division at one school and two at another . . . tearing that community apart. They’ve already gone through enough.”

Some minor renovations are underway to convert Winslow Centre to an elementary school, Thomas said. Teachers are set to be in the building on Monday to prepare their new classrooms.

“We’re hopeful by Wednesday or Thursday we’ll be able to welcome students,” he said. “We are going to be able to keep the school together.”

While details still have to be worked out, Thomas said the plan is to bus students from a pick-up spot near Hazel Trembath to Winslow. School staff are slated to supervise both locations.

Rebuilding

School District #43 has been in contact with the Ministry of Education and Schools Protection Program regarding insurance and the pending rebuild, Thomas said.

“We absolutely will be rebuilding Hazel Trembath,” he said. “All those wheels are already turning.”

Port Coquitlam has also agreed to “clear the way” for any building permits or other approvals to get the rebuild going as quickly as possible, he said.

Previous fire

Winslow Centre was also used as a temporary school after a structure fire burned through the Coquitlam Alternative Balanced Education school on Foster Avenue in Coquitlam in June 2022.

“It has a gym, it has, kind of everything they need already there,” Thomas said, noting that the district’s learning services department is on site.

“We can wrap support around those kids, around the teachers, the whole staff to make sure they have all the resources available to them.”

Donations

Concerned residents can offer financial support for Hazel Trembath through the SD43 Foundation. As a charity, the foundation can offer tax receipts, Thomas said.

While details are still being confirmed, physical items can likely soon be donated at Port Coquitlam Community Centre.

Investigation

Anyone with information about the fire who hasn’t yet spoken to police is asked to contact Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550.

Residents with footage of the area around the school between 9 p.m. on Friday and 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning are asked to contact police.

City hall

In a social media post, Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West called the fire “heartbreaking.”

“As a former student myself, and the parent of a Grade 1 student there, I know what a special and connected place Hazel is,” West wrote.

West pledged the “full support of the city and all of resources to assist our kids, teachers, support staff, parents and caregivers,” following the fire.

“I am committed to doing everything in my power to see Hazel Trembath rebuilt,” West wrote.