The province announced Thursday $5.72 million to build a gym at Upper Halfway school.
Students at Upper Halfway are from the Halfway River First Nation and surrounding Russian- and German-speaking communities, and have access to the Halfway Graham Community Hall for limited indoor play, the Ministry of Education said in a release.
However, that facility is not wheelchair accessible and has no washroom facilities, the ministry said.
"It's important all children in B.C. have access to athletic equipment and this gym will bring valuable sports facilities to people and communities in the region," Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside said in a statement.
Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2022, and the ministry says the new gym will be accessible and built to LEED Gold standards with construction materials, and mechanical and electrical systems that minimize emissions and utility costs.
The gym will also include cultural education components with input from the local First Nations and school community to support physical education and community events, and incorporate Dene-Za indigenous design into the building.
School District 60 is contributing nearly $29,000 to the project, according the ministry.
"The School District 60 board is excited to be able to enhance and improve the equity of opportunities for our Upper Halfway students," said SD60 Board Chair Helen Gilbert. "The addition of a fully accessible gymnasium space will allow students to build a wide range of physical literacy skills. The gymnasium will be tied into a kitchen facility so it will be easy to host school and community events. We look forward to working with our partners to make this new space a central one to the community."
About 65% of the students at Upper Halfway identify as Indigenous, and many are English Language Learners as their primary language is not English or is a non-standard dialect, according to the ministry.
Email Managing Editor Matt Preprost at editor@ahnfsj.ca
