A new school site, set to house just over 200 francophone students, is in the works in Sechelt.
During its Aug. 7 regular meeting, Sechelt council passed first reading for the school proposal that will trigger Official Community Plan (OCP) and Zoning Bylaw amendments.
School District No. 93 (Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique) will operate the new school, which will have its own large field behind the school and may potentially share playfields with the nearby Chatelech Secondary School.
As the proposal is in the primordial stages of the development process, Tyson Baker, Sechelt senior development planner said the report is meant to gauge council’s appetite or support for the project.
Conseil Scolaire Francophone de la Colombie-Britannique bought Lot B District Lot 1331, off of Medusa Street, last summer.
The school is proposed to consist of one classroom for infant and toddler childcare, for 12 pupils; one classroom for pre-kindergarten childcare, for 24 pupils; one classroom for kindergarten, for 20 pupils; four classrooms for elementary schoo, for a total of 100 pupils; and two classrooms for secondary school, for 50 pupils.
The site’s current Multi-Family Mixed Residential designation does not allow for a school, and as such, requested is an OCP amendment, changing the designation to Civic Institutional Utilities.
The area will also need to be rezoned to Community and Civic 1 (CC-1) from its current zoning, Comprehensive Development 3 – Seniors Lodge (CD-3).
Additionally, a housing agreement bylaw registered on title respecting a former development will need to be removed.
Sylvain Allison, capital planning analyst for School District No. 93, said they anticipate enrolling 150 students within 10 years of the school opening.
Coun. Dianne McLauchlan asked if the school district had conducted geotechnical studies or similar investigations on-site, saying that a traffic study may be helpful.
Allison confirmed the primary work is done, with more to come once they start development.
Coun. Alton Toth also spoke about traffic and the potential impact on the small, dead-end neighbourhood, asking staff if they had received any feedback from the neighbours.
Baker answered their preliminary traffic assessment has been submitted to the district and because this project would amend the OCP, it would trigger a public hearing where the community will have a chance to share their opinion.
Coun. Brenda Rowe acknowledged and thanked the presenters for including childcare spaces in the plan, asking if kids going into the childcare would need to meet the same qualifications as the school children or if it would be open to the community at large.
Allison clarified kids going into childcare would have the same requirements as the school.
“The goal is to promote and retain the French language,” Allison said. “So if we start the kids earlier in the system, in the daycare level, they will have a better chance to retain and promote the French language in the future.”
Speaking from her past as a school facilities planner, McLauchlan acknowledged the efforts Conseil Scolaire Francophone has made to provide services to their students.
“It is quite challenging to find a big enough school site when you're not getting a dedicated school site from a school district,” McLauchlan said. “I appreciate your effort to get the site and to try and work it in.”
The development was unanimously given first reading by council.
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
