Built in 1961 and accommodating 935 students, Harrison Trimble High School is undergoing upgrades to the mechanical and electrical systems, building interior and building envelope to extend the use of the building.
The cost of the project, to be completed by 2018, is $7.4 million, while the cost to replace the school would be about $33 million.
Education Minister Brian Kenny, along with Finance Minister Cathy Rogers and Transport Minister Bill Fraser, took a tour of the school Thursday to see first hand the progress done, as the province attempts to address the structural needs of aging schools.
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“When you invest in mid-life upgrades you prevent problems, like we’ve seen before, where a school is not fixable and you have to built all over again,” Rogers said. “So if we invest strategically in the proper life phase of a school, we can help the school to last a lot longer.”
The provincial government launched its mid-life capital investment program last year. The program will see $32 million, spent in upgrades over the next four years, go to various schools in New Brunswick. Of that money, $7.4 million will go to Trimble High.
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“As you can see there’s many upgrades taking place this summer with upgrades to the hallways corridors and stairwells,” Kenny said. “These are crucial upgrades that have to be done.”
Work is being done in the summer months to not disrupt classes. So far, some of the work completed includes new windows, newly paved parking lots and the installation of lifts for people with limited mobility.
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Once completed, the upgrades are expected to add at least 30 years to the life of the school.
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