
Photo via SD73
Chants of “We are Parkcrest” rang out Wednesday as the Kamloops-Thompson School District celebrated the opening of the newly rebuilt school, almost five years to the day after it was destroyed in a fire.
Construction on a rebuilt 510-seat K to 7 Parkcrest Elementary began in the spring of 2022, with students spending the last five years at nearby George Hilliard Elementary in Brocklehurst.
“I want to thank all the Parkcrest students and staff, as well as our school community and the families that have shown true school and community spirit these past few years,” Parkcrest Principal Catherine Gorman said at a celebration Wednesday afternoon.
“Not just the past few years but, truthfully, the last five because there is a lot that we have gone through not only as a community but as a society.”
The B.C. government contributed $34.84-million towards the project that added 120 seats to the former 390-seat school to account for an expected population growth in Brocklehurst. SD73 added $300,000, while the City of Kamloops committed $2.5 million to build a larger, full-sized gymnasium which will be used for community and sporting events.
“We’re excited to welcome students and staff to the new Parkcrest Elementary,” SD73 Board Chair Heather Grieve said. “This larger, modern facility reflects our commitment to supporting learning opportunities and environments which inspire students to thrive.”
“It’s a significant milestone for our community to return to Parkcrest Elementary after the devastating fire and we look forward to sharing this hopeful start to the new school year with students, families, and staff.”
Calling it an exciting and emotional day for SD73, school officials say the return to the original location at 2170 Parkcrest Avenue “offers closure and a renewed school spirit.”
“The true heart of this school, however, is not the building itself,” Gorman, who told Radio NL in 2019 that she was optimistic about the future, added Wednesday. “It’s the people who are in it and I have believed that from the very beginning.”