• Powering Metro Vancouver’s first net-zero-emission school

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-11 18:30:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Education, Energy, Environment, Climate, Infrastructure]

  The Government of British Columbia and BC Hydro announced that École Snokomish Elementary in Surrey has opened as Metro Vancouver's first all-electric, net-zero-emission school and latest Power Smart Champion. Supported by CleanBC funding and more than $14,000 for an initial energy study, the 27-classroom, 655-student school utilizes a heat-pump-based HVAC system designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 89% and avoid an estimated 961 tonnes of emissions over 15 years. The project directly advances Surrey Schools' target to lower emissions by 40% by 2030 and aligns with BC Hydro's Power Smart 2.0 plan to drive public building energy efficiency.

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• 23 new, improved schools opening in B.C., including one in North Vancouver

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-11 17:45:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Infrastructure, Education, Social Services]

  The Government of British Columbia announced the opening of 23 new and improved schools for September 2026, marking 250 school capital projects across the province since 2017. This includes the new $61 million Cloverley Elementary School in North Vancouver, which provides 585 student seats built using mass-timber and energy-efficient designs, representing the first new elementary school to open in the district in 35 years. Additionally, the project features a 92-space child care centre supported by nearly $3.7 million from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund under the Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, and operated by North Shore Neighbourhood House.

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• Expanding skilled-trades training seats in Burnaby

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-10 16:45:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Labour, Education, Economy]

  The Government of British Columbia is investing $241 million over three years through its Look West strategy to deliver 5,000 new trades-training seats across the province for the 2026-27 academic year. As part of this initiative, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in Burnaby is adding 272 new skilled-trades training seats, alongside nearly 900 seats previously added in response to demand. The expansion focuses on reducing apprenticeship wait lists and boosting training capacity in high-demand fields such as automotive service technology, carpentry, heavy mechanical trades, industrial mechanics (millwrights), marine mechanical technology, plumbing, and sheet metal work.

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• Expanding health-care administration training opportunities for people in Prince George

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-10 16:00:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Labour, Healthcare, Social Services, Education]

  The Governments of Canada and British Columbia are investing nearly $600,000 through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement to fund the Helping Hands project in Prince George. Delivered by Kopar Administration Ltd. in partnership with the College of New Caledonia, the 25-week free training program is designed to provide 30 participants facing barriers to employment with occupational skills, industry-recognized certifications, and a two-week workplace practicum in health-care administration. Two cohorts are scheduled: the first from July 20, 2026, to January 22, 2027, and the second from November 9, 2026, to May 14, 2027.

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• 23 new and improved B.C. schools opening, including two in Maple Ridge

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-08 22:15:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Infrastructure, Education]

  The Government of British Columbia announced the opening of 23 new and improved schools for September 2026, marking 250 school capital projects supported by over $7 billion in provincial funding since 2017. In the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District, this includes the seismic replacement and expansion of École Eric Langton Elementary—funded by $46.4 million from the Province and $2.5 million from the school district—adding 215 new seats for a total capacity of 680 student seats along with a neighbourhood learning centre. Additionally, a $12 million provincial investment funded an eight-classroom addition at Golden Ears Elementary, creating 195 new student seats.

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• Minister’s statement on returning to school

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-08 14:30:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Education, Infrastructure, Public Safety]

  British Columbia Minister of Education and Child Care Lisa Beare announced the start of the 2026 K-12 school year alongside the launch of the 'B.C.’s Welcoming Schools' landing page and the expansion of kindergarten-to-Grade-3 reading screenings. The provincial government continues to fund the FeedingFutures school food program across nearly 90% of public schools, re-establishes protected access zones prohibiting protests near K-12 schools, and mandates district-level anti-racism action plans under the Provincial Anti-Racism Action Plan. Background data indicates total K-12 teaching staff has increased by over 22% to 49,442 since 2017, education assistants have grown by over 46% to nearly 17,000, and provincial capital investments have approved more than $7 billion for 250 school capital projects creating nearly 50,000 new student seats.

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• Access zones in place to protect students, staff this school year

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-08 14:00:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Education, Public Safety, Justice]

  The Government of British Columbia has reaffirmed the activation of access zones for K-12 public and independent schools under the Safe Access to Schools Act to protect students and staff from disruptive behaviours and protests. These access zones span a 20-metre radius around school properties and remain active from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, as well as during any extracurricular activities. Since their initial activation on May 31, 2024, the Ministry of Education and Child Care has logged 25 protest disruptions, including five at K-12 public schools throughout the 2025-26 school year. In spring 2026, the provincial government extended the repeal date of the Safe Access to Schools Act from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2028.

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• Expanding skilled-trades training seats in the Lower Mainland

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-03 16:45:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Labour, Education, Economy, Infrastructure]

  The Government of British Columbia is investing $241 million over three years through its Look West economic strategy to fund 5,000 new skilled-trades training seats across the province for the 2026-27 academic year. Specifically, Vancouver Community College is adding 224 new trades training seats, bringing its total capacity to more than 1,770 seats. The initiative aims to reduce apprenticeship wait lists and increase training capacity in high-demand fields such as automotive service technology, construction electricity, heavy mechanical trades, and refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics to support major industrial projects.

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• Marking 250 school capital projects in B.C. since 2017

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-01 16:45:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Education, Infrastructure]

  Premier David Eby announced that the Government of British Columbia has approved more than $7 billion for school capital projects since 2017, resulting in 250 completed or underway projects that deliver nearly 50,000 new student seats and almost 40,000 seismically safer seats. For the September 2026 school term, 23 new and improved schools and additions are opening across 16 communities backed by more than $560 million in provincial funding, creating space for 4,700 students. Specific regional investments include projects in Burnaby (such as the seismic replacement of Stride Avenue Community Elementary and additions at Nelson Elementary and Brentwood Park Elementary), Surrey, North Vancouver, Vancouver, Coquitlam, Kelowna, and other communities.

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• Opening more child care spaces in schools

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-08-31 20:15:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Education, Social Services, Infrastructure, Affordability]

  The Government of British Columbia is providing a $5 million child care capital funding program through the Ministry of Infrastructure to 22 school districts to repurpose existing school spaces into approximately 1,200 new licensed before- and after-school child care spaces. Additionally, the Ministry of Education and Child Care is investing $20 million over three years for operating costs, $2 million for startup costs, and an upcoming $2.9-million fund in fall 2026 to create board-operated school-age care programs. Families utilizing these programs will benefit from fee reductions through the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative and the Affordable Child Care Benefit.

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• Upgrading spaces for post-secondary students in Burnaby

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-08-28 20:15:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Infrastructure, Education]

  Construction has officially started on the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) South Campus Infrastructure Renewal project in Burnaby, backed by a $48 million investment from the Government of British Columbia. The project involves replacing aging underground infrastructure—including electrical, gas, water, sanitary, and stormwater systems—while upgrading above-ground public spaces, walkways, bicycle networks, and a restored urban greenway to improve campus accessibility. This initiative complements other recent investments at the Burnaby campus, such as the Trades and Technology Complex and the Tall Timber Student Housing residence, with the overall project expected to be completed by early 2029.

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• Canada recruited 64 professors with new research fund. Three-quarters are from U.S. schools

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-08-27 21:58:07.0
  Tags: [National, British Columbia, Education, Industry, Technology]

  Industry Minister Mélanie Joly announced a federal investment of $541 million through the Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative to recruit 64 academic research leaders to Canadian universities, with three-quarters coming from United States institutions. Of this funding, $504 million is allocated to the initial tranche of professors, while $37 million will support the recruitment of 63 additional emerging leaders over the next year under the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs of Canada and Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders programs. Participating professors will receive either $500,000 or $1 million annually over eight years to build research teams and laboratories at institutions including the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University.

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