Provincial government announces new secondary school to be built in Tumbler Ridge

VICTORIA, B.C. — The NDP provincial government has announced a new secondary school will be built in the community of Tumbler Ridge.

The existing secondary school was the scene of a brutal mass shooting in February, where six students lost their lives with many more injured.

Another two people were found dead in a nearby residence, with the assailant also perishing from a self-inflicted wound.

It was announced on Thursday, April 5th, by B.C. Premier David Eby and Minister of Education and Child Care Lisa Beare, during a press conference, reiterated a commitment made during a vigil in the days following the tragedy.

“I said in my remarks that night that no child would be forced, no educator would be forced, no staff would be forced to go back into that same school building,” Eby said in Victoria. “I’m pleased to be here to say that will, in fact, be the case.”

“The lives of people in Tumbler Ridge were changed forever, and the lives of people across the country, our province was changed forever. [It was] a senseless attack on the future of Tumbler Ridge, lives lost and changed in ways that are difficult to imagine.”

Eby commended the work of School District 59, which has been engaged in conversations with survivors and community members about what he described as “the right path forward” for the school’s future.

He also gave a nod to Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka, who Eby said has been “a constant support” throughout the process.

“The work that was done by the school board was incredibly important,” said Eby. “We want to make sure we are doing things right by the survivors, by the families, by the people of Tumbler Ridge. They need to direct this.”

Eby also noted Prime Minister Mark Carney said the federal government will be involved, though he did not elaborate on the level of involvement.

Since the tragedy, Tumbler Ridge Secondary School students have been in makeshift, temporary modular units on the grounds of Tumbler Ridge Elementary, including a trades unit provided by the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology.

Eby said those units will be replaced by modular classrooms that can fit 20 to 30 students. Meanwhile, School District 59 is working with the community to put together an initial design plan, which will be brought back to the entire community.

“I want to thank the community for their heroism, for their courage, for their resilience,” said Eby.

“I look forward to working with them, as does the minister, on ensuring that the kids at Tumbler Ridge have a safe and comfortable and healing place to return to school.”

There is no timetable for when the school will be finished, or whether it will be on the existing grounds, with Eby only stating that his government will work to build the school “as quickly as possible.”