The Big Little Science Centre has about a month to move out of Happyvale Elementary, in the aftermath of the Parkcrest Elementary fire.

The Science Centre is being displaced because Four Directions – SD73’s alternative education facility for Aboriginal students – is moving to Happyvale from nearby George Hilliard Elementary, that will now house Parkcrest students.

Executive Director Gord Stewart says the Big Little Science Centre has actually been on the lookout for a new space for the past four or five years.

“Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of open space available within Kamloops,” he said on NL Newsday. “Like we need, basically like a school design, you know a big gymnasium and a few classrooms, that’s kind of the layout we need. So that’s not an easy thing to find.”

Most recently, Stewart says the Science Centre was on the hunt for a new space about two years ago.

“Because the School District had given me a heads up that they may be adjusting their programming and opening their school, but then they decided not to do that at that time, so that kind of took the pressure off,” he added. “But yeah, we had a hunt going there for a bit.”

Since being founded in 2000, the Big Little Science Centre has been been located in David Thompson Elementary, Bert Edwards Science and Technology School, George Hilliard Elementary, and now Happyvale Elementary. It leases space from the School District.

Stewart says even a warehouse would work at this time, and he’s urging people who have ideas to reach out.

“Either phone the Science Centre line itself of emailing me at gord@blscs.org. Yeah, we’re looking at all the options that are out there,” Stewart noted.

He is hopeful, but said there is a possibility they would need to close if the search for a new new location is unsuccessful.

While the science centre is on the look out for a new spot, students at Four Directions will be housed at the new United Way building on Tranquille Road.