Still no timeline for rebuild two years after Port Coquitlam school burned down

When Hazel Trembath Elementary burned down on Oct. 14, 2023, the City of Port Coquitlam and parents were promised a quick rebuild. But nearly two years later, they’re left wondering if the province will hold up its end of the bargain.

Walking on the land where Hazel Trembath Elementary School used to stand, Shawna Comey feels a profound sense of emptiness.

“It makes me sad actually. It’s really bittersweet. And we have to face this every day: coming to get our kids picked up from school and dropped off. It’s just empty, and it’s waiting for a school,” said Comey.

It’s been nearly two years since the school burned to the ground in a fire that police say was human-caused. Students and staff were displaced to the Winslow Centre — a 20-minute bus ride away. But that was only supposed to be temporary.

“For the first few months, it was really challenging. Getting used to the bussing, losing some instructional time a day. We miss that school-teacher interaction that we used to be able to have.”

Back in March, the province confirmed it had the funds in the 2025 budget to construct a replacement school.

But to this day, there has been no building plan or a construction timeline, leaving the city wondering what’s the hold up?

“I’ve had more conversations than I can count with ministers, with officials, with our MLA,” Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West told The Leader Spirit. “And the answer is always the same: ‘Well, we’re working on it.’”

West says the city and the school community have exhausted all avenues in their fight to speed up the rebuild, and it’s up to the province to put shovels in the ground.

“I don’t know what more we could do. When it happened, I said the city would expedite all the permitting, that we would move heaven and earth. The community has rallied, they have fundraised, they have written letters, they have had a petition. All of us are having to just push and fight so bloody hard to get the province to do the thing that they said they were gonna do.”

“My daughter will probably never make it back to the new school,” said Comey.

“But I’m still pushing and advocating for it, because I feel it’s so important for our community.”

More parents are planning to hold a rally next Friday to put pressure on the government.

In a statement to The Leader Spirit, Minister of Infrastructure Bowinn Ma says staff have been working closely with the school district to rebuild as quickly as possible, and the next steps include approval of the business plan and project budget.