School District 72 has approved construction of an outdoor meeting pavilion at the Surge Narrows Elementary School site.
The approval came in large part due to the Surge Narrows Community Association’s ability to secure a grant of $39,600 through the Canada Health Community Initiative.
The board had approved the construction in principal at an October board meeting, but have now granted full approval after the community association secured a site plan, building design and engineering and commercial liability insurance.
The Surge Narrows Community Association will be responsible for all construction and maintenance costs.
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After community consultation, Read Island architect Rob Wood has developed an initial design, and the building has been engineered by Campbell River’s Pete Heidema of Home Structural Inc., Structural Engineering and Design.
In 2020 with the onset of COVID-19, the need to create a dry covered gathering place that would enable community members and school children to gather safely outdoors was identified by community members.
The community association hopes the outdoor gathering place will also provide many educational benefits, such as enabling community members and visiting educators to safely make presentations and hold workshops for Surge Narrow Elementary School students (as well as other SD72 students) in a safe outdoor learning environment.
The structure will have some tables at which the school children can eat their lunches and snacks, which will be a big improvement, as such a place does not currently exist.
editor@campbellrivermirror.com
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