Board selects site for new green school in Sudbury West

Rainbow District School Board Trustees selected a site for the new green school in Sudbury West during the regular Board meeting on June 23, 2008. The school, to offer English and French Immersion programs for students in JK to Grade 6, will be built on the George Vanier Public School site on Sixth Avenue in Lively.

“We explored a number of options, including purchasing land in a central location in Sudbury West,” said Board Chair Judy Hunda. “In the end, building on existing Board property proved to be the most cost-effective approach, offering the least disruption to student learning.”

Since the new school will bring together students from George Vanier Public School and Jessie Hamilton Public School, both sites were considered as possible locations. A number of factors were taken into account – the amount of land available, the grade and stability of the property to accommodate a new structure, the ability to minimize disruptions for students during the construction phase, the ability to ensure the safety of students during the construction phase and proximity to the local secondary school.

“We hired an engineering firm to evaluate site conditions at both schools,” said Chair Hunda. “George Vanier Public School is a larger property with a generally flat terrain. There is sufficient space to enable classes to continue in the existing school while the new school is being built.”

“With a site selected and provincial funding in place, we are ready to proceed with the design and construction,” said Chair Hunda. The school will incorporate a number of green features, including occupancy sensors, waterless urinals, north/south exposures that maximize the use of natural light, and energy efficient heating and cooling systems.

Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2008 with a targeted completion date of the fall of 2009. The Province of Ontario recently announced funding of $9.4 million for the school, which will accommodate approximately 500 students. Castellan James + Partners Architects Inc. will design the school. Ameresco Canada Inc. will oversee the construction.

Rainbow District School Board opened its first green school in September 2007. Valley View Public School, a model for sustainable development, was the first green school in Northern Ontario and the Board’s first new school in 40 years.

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