Families hold rally calling for rebuild of Port Coquitlam school destroyed in fire
Eight months since a devastating fire ripped through Hazel Trembath Elementary School in Port Coquitlam, the lot now sites empty with gravel.
As the school year comes to a close, families gathered at the site Tuesday demanding answers for the future of their children.
"We haven’t heard what’s going on," Anand Kanna, a parent of a Hazel Trembath student, said. "Are we getting a new school? Are we going to turn this into vast parkland? Are we going to split our community up even further."
Dozens of children and parents attended the rally, calling for the school to be rebuilt.
"We walk past this site numerous times a day to bring them to a bus stop, 'why hasn't our school been rebuilt?' And we have no answers for them," said Nicole Nobles, a parent of two boys.
Since the school burned down on Oct. 19, more than 250 students are bused 20 minutes away in Coquitlam, where the school district has converted a former administration building to temporarily host students.
"That space is not equipped to handle 200 plus kindergartens to (Grade) 5s," said parent Kim O’Niell.
"Today I got a call from the school, my daughter was sick, it took me 40 minutes to get to her, whereas my husband could have just hopped over the hill and picked her up."
Parents and children at the rally chanted, holding signs that read "rebuild Hazel" and "bring us home."
"It's been a very trying year and the students deserve to be back in their community in Port Coquitlam," said rally co-organizer, Shwana Comey.
According to Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West, there had been rumours of a developer buying the land to build residential condos. But West shut down those rumours during the rally.
"I want to be crystal clear, it’s not going to happen. This site is made for one thing and one thing only, Hazel Trembath Elementary," West said during the rally.
His assurance is something the provincial education minister also supported.
"As a parent, but also the minister of education and childcare, our government (is) committed to rebuilding Trembath,” Rachna Singh told CTV News in an interview Tuesday.
But when asked when exactly a construction start date would be, she could not say.
"Any capitol project, the school district comes up with the concept plan, the business plan, so those are the processes, they the school district has to go through."
That proposed plan is expected to be delivered by the school district to the province by the end of the week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6945600.1719608806!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'We need new leadership': Liberal MP writes to caucus, says Justin Trudeau should resign
A sitting Liberal MP has written to the federal caucus to say he thinks Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should resign. 'For the future of our party and for the good of our country we need new leadership and a new direction,' said New Brunswick MP Wayne Long in the brief note.
Ontario MPP removed from PC caucus over 'serious lapses in judgment'
Premier Doug Ford has removed a member of his caucus due to what he’s describing as 'serious lapses in judgment.' In a statement released Friday morning, the premier’s office said MPP Goldie Ghamari had been removed from the Progressive Conservative caucus 'effective immediately.'
Is marriage harder than it was 10 years ago? Why one psychologist thinks so
Marriage might be the oldest institution in the world, but it's struggling to adapt to the pressures of modern life. Registered psychologist Adisa Azubuike explains why it's more difficult today.
TREND LINE Trudeau Liberals 'under siege' across the country, with Conservatives cracking red 'fortresses' like Toronto and Vancouver: Nanos
Hot on the heels of the Conservatives' stunning byelection victory in the riding of Toronto—St. Paul's, new seat projection data from Nanos Research show ridings considered previously safe for the Liberals are increasingly up for grabs.
Biden concedes debate fumbles but declares he will defend democracy. Dems stick by him ─ for now
U.S. President Joe Biden forcefully tried on Friday to quell Democratic anxieties over his unsteady showing in his debate with former President Donald Trump, as elected members of his party closed ranks around him in an effort to shut down talk of replacing him atop the ticket.
Human remains discovered at recycling facility in B.C.'s Lower Mainland
Workers discovered human remains at recycling facility in New Westminster, B.C., on Thursday, CTV News has learned.
New tow truck requirements kick in, as province takes oversight of troubled industry
The Ontario government says it is cracking down on fraudulent tow truck drivers with a new certification requirement it calls a first among Canada's provinces.
Five survivors from Sudbury, Ont., rescued in human trafficking investigation
Six people have been charged in a provincial human trafficking investigation that identified five survivors from Greater Sudbury.
Need multiple alarms to wake up in the morning? Here's what could be happening, according to experts
If you are clogging your clock app with multiple morning alarms, you’re setting yourself up for a groggy morning, experts say.