Debates of October 21, 2005 (day 15)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I tabled a letter from the Colville Lake District Education Authority on October 18, 2005, in the House. That letter outlined several concerns that the district education authority has with the adequacy of the program space, classrooms and lack of sanitary facilities in the Colville Lake school.

There are 41 people, 36 students and five staff, in that building approved for an occupancy load for 40 people. One room teaches kindergarten to Grade 12. The lack of space is such that one teacher teaches in the cloakroom, just a few feet away from the honey bucket. Mr. Speaker, I would maintain that this is not conducive to a good learning environment, nor is it really healthy. In fact, it’s outrageous in this day and age. It’s a crying shame, Mr. Speaker.

Crying shame!

A crying shame that we have to put our students in this type of building.

In examining the history of an addition for the Colville Lake School, I know the project has been delayed, and reduced in scope, since 2000-2001. That’s five years, Mr. Speaker. It went from a $1.5 million addition to be concluded in 2005-2006 in the 2000-2001 Main Estimates, to a modular classroom, at the cost of $448,000, to be delivered in 2007-2008 in this year’s main estimates. In fact, Mr. Speaker, at one point in the 2003-2004 Main Estimates, the project did not even appear in the books for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

The capital standards state the number one priority is life, safety and health concerns. I think that a -- and I do note the word “a” -- honey bucket may qualify as a health concern in schools. Also note that the capital standards also called for separate bathrooms for each of the sexes, built to current building concerns.

Mr. Speaker, with the amount of concerns that the DEA from Colville Lake has with the current school, I am expecting to be one awesome modular classroom. Just so people understand, modular classroom is just another way of saying portable classroom. I don’t believe it’s possible to complete a portable classroom to meet the program requirements in Colville. A portable…

Mr. Yakeleya, your time for your Member’s statement has expired.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. A portable classroom may have a lifespan of 20 years. It makes more sense to renovate and put an addition onto the existing structure. I will have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause