Nearly three years after Hazel Trembath Elementary School was destroyed in a suspicious fire, construction has begun on a replacement for the community. B.C.’s Ministry of Infrastructure said the province is putting $39 million into the building of the new Hazel Trembath Elementary, which is scheduled to open in December 2027. The school will have 240 seats and also include a “neighbourhood learning centre for future child care spaces,” the ministry said in a news release Monday. The previous school burned to the ground on Oct. 14, 2023, displacing some 200 students from their classrooms. “The loss of Hazel Trembath Elementary was deeply felt by students, families and the entire community, which is why it is so meaningful to see construction begin on its replacement,” said Mike Farnworth, the MLA for Port Coquitlam, in a statement. The years-long wait for construction to begin led to significant frustration in the community—with Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West slamming officials last year for not getting shovels into the ground faster. “It is creating a lot of uncertainty and a lot of stress, a lot of upset feelings in our community,” West said on the second anniversary of the fire. “We shouldn’t have to fight so darn hard. This should not require so much effort and advocacy from the community to just have the government do what it said it was going to do.” The province announced funding for the replacement school days later. On Monday, officials also announced the opening of a new two-storey addition to Port Coquitlam’s École Dr. Charles Best Secondary, with 300 seats in 12 classrooms. Construction is also underway on the seismic replacement of Montgomery Middle School and the new Burke Mountain Secondary School, also expected to open in the city next year, the government said.
