VICTORIA – Victoria-area students will have to wait a year longer before getting into upgraded classrooms.
The school district announced that construction on a seismically upgraded and expanded Victoria High School has been extended into September 2023 due to “challenges arising from the pandemic and scope of the project.”
The project’s original completion date was September 2022.
School officials stated that crews encountered unexpected site and building conditions due to the age of the school which require additional renovation and upgrades, including installing temporary supports.
“There have been several challenges over the past year that have extended the seismic project’s timeline, including labour and material pressures due to COVID-19 and a building boom in Victoria,” said superintendent Shelley Green in a statement. “We expected there to be a few surprises when we started opening the walls of a school built over a century ago, but we did not anticipate the market pressures on resources and labour availability.”
The province is contributing $77.1 million for the seismic improvements, a 200-seat expansion and preservation of the iconic landmark located at 1260 Grant St. The school district is paying $2.6 million towards the school improvements. Exterior elements, such as terracotta, granite and brick masonry, are being retained. Interior features, including the marble and stained glass in the main entrance and lobby, and the painted wooden panels and stained glass in the auditorium, are also being preserved.
Victoria High students are currently relocated at the former SJ Willis school site at 923 Topaz Ave. Students will remain there until June 2023.
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