New school opens in Lake Country

The start of the school year will be extra memorable for some students and staff in Lake Country.

They will be attending the new H.S. Grenda Middle school in Winfield which has capacity for 600 students and was a $40 million project.

The school’s 21st-century design includes modern, environmentally friendly systems like geo-exchange heat recovery to regulate temperatures and reduce operating costs. The space will give students and teachers the opportunity to take full advantage of B.C.’s new curriculum.

The new school includes additional student spaces to meet the anticipated growth in the community. It will also include a neighbourhood learning centre, where the school district is collaborating with the District of Lake Country and Science World on programs that will be offered to spark curiosity and inspire engagement with science and nature.

The B.C. Government provided $35 million of the cost with School District 23 contributing $5.3 million.

“We are pleased to see this investment in our learners, especially since the Central Okanagan is the fastest-growing region in B.C.,” said Moyra Baxter, board chair, Central Okanagan Public Schools. “All of our students deserve safe, accessible learning spaces, and we look forward to continuing to meet the needs of our growing communities.”

Construction on the new school started in the fall of 2019 on property south of George Elliott Secondary.