PoCo council gets look at new, environmentally friendly Hazel Trembath

A little more than two years after a fire decimated the Confederation Drive elementary school, plans for the new Hazel Trembath were unveiled at Port Coquitlam council chambers Tuesday.

It’s a “milestone,” said Mayor Brad West, although he cautioned against any cheers until the school doors open.

“Very much looking forward to the day that . . . the first kid walks through the doors,” he said.

Council unanimously approved a development permit submitted by School District #43 for the approximately $39-million rebuild. The permit regulates development in accordance with environmental conservation standards on the site.

The new two-storey school is set to be built with an aim toward consuming less energy and relying on low-flow fixtures to cut down water use, with a high-efficiency heat pump and EV charging stations, meeting LEED gold standard.

The partially prefabricated building is also set to reduce transportation pollution by using a local manufacturer.

While the main classrooms and common areas will be built using prefabricated materials, the gym will be built with standard construction techniques.

The hybrid approach is expected to cut construction time, allowing the school to open in late 2027 rather than late 2028, according to an estimate from the province. Construction is scheduled to begin in July.

It will be hard to believe until there are shovels in the ground, said Coun. Nancy McCurrach on Tuesday.

McCurrach singled out Hazel Trembath Elementary School PAC executive Shawna Comey for leading rallies to rebuild the school.

Comey was critical of the province for leaving the community in limbo in the year after the fire.

“It’s been weird walking on the site of where your kids school once was,” she told the Dispatch in 2024. “There have been students drawing lines [on the ground] being, ‘This is where my classroom used to be. This is where the gym was.’”

“Hopefully, one day, they’ll find out who was responsible,” McCurrach said on Tuesday.

The new school is set to be built on the footprint of the old school with space to accommodate 240 students as well as a childcare, in addition to the Caring Hearts childcare northwest of the school.

The facility will feature two kindergarten classrooms, eight elementary classrooms, and a neighbourhood learning centre.