The province and the federal government will each provide $100 million, with construction on the school expected to start later this summer.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Thursday that Ottawa and B.C. will provide Tumbler Ridge with $200 million to build a new high school and renovate the local health care centre in the community still reeling from February’s shooting.
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Alongside B.C. Premier David Eby, Carney said Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka and other community leaders said students don’t want to return to the secondary school after the shooting that took the lives of eight victims, including five students between 12 and 13 years old, and a female educator.
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The shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, also killed her mother and 11 year-old brother before later taking her own life.
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In May, the province announced a new school would be built after the school board was informed that a return to the school was not preferable.
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“The Premier and I went to Tumbler Ridge in the wake of the horrific shooting at the secondary school. We sat down, we heard directly from the students, their parents, their teachers, talked to the first responders, the neighbours, friends, we talked about what could be done to begin to help heal from that trauma, that loss, and unspeakable tragedy,” said Carney.
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“The Premier and I, amongst other things, we promised we would be there for the community as they rebuild.”
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The province and the federal government will each provide $100 million, with construction on the school expected to start later this summer.
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