Prime Minister Mark Carney says the federal and B.C. governments will provide $100 million each to build a new high school in Tumbler Ridge after the mass shooting at the school in February, and to modernize the small town’s health care centre.

The B.C. government said last month that Tumbler Ridge Secondary School would be demolished and rebuilt at a new location in the wake of the mass shooting at the school on Feb. 10.

Carney said at a June 18 press conference that he and B.C. Premier David Eby heard directly from Tumbler Ridge students, their parents, their teachers, and first responders.

“We talked about what could be done to begin to help heal from that trauma, that loss, unspeakable tragedy,” Carney said. “The premier and I, amongst other things, we promised that we would be there for the community as they rebuild.”

He announced that the federal and B.C. governments would provide $100 million each to build the new school and renovate the local health centre in Tumbler Ridge.

Construction will begin this summer, starting with the removal of the existing high school, he said.

The District of Tumbler Ridge said in a June 18 statement that it is grateful for the federal and provincial governments’ commitment to the community and looks forward to working with its partners as the projects move forward.

“This announcement comes at an important time for our community,” the district said. “Over the past several months, Tumbler Ridge has demonstrated remarkable strength, compassion, and resilience as it supports one another through an incredibly difficult period.”

The Peace River South School Board, which has jurisdiction over the school, requested support from the province to build a new high school at a new location in Tumbler Ridge and to ensure the current school is removed “quickly,” the B.C. government said on May 7. The request came after consulting with victims’ families, students, teachers, and experts.

On Feb. 10, former Tumbler Ridge Secondary School student Jesse Van Rootselaar killed his mother and half-brother at a nearby residence before opening fire at the school, where six more people, including an educator and five students, were killed and 27 others were injured. Van Rootselaar later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The province said last month that the location and design of the new school would be decided later this year based on community feedback and expert advice. Students were scheduled to move into larger modular classrooms in late May after a phased resumption of classes began on Feb. 26 in smaller modular facilities.

Infrastructure Partnership

The prime minister made the announcement in Vancouver as part of a new “landmark” partnership between the federal government and the government of British Columbia to accelerate homebuilding and build new local infrastructure in the province.

The partnership involves spending more than $5 billion on B.C. infrastructure, including $3.2 billion to lower development charges for multi-unit housing by up to 50 percent in “priority communities,” $1.2 billion to modernize and expand health infrastructure, and up to $50 million to support community infrastructure projects in coastal communities.

The federal government will also provide $284 million to the province to reduce barriers to new construction. Additionally, the partnership includes a deal between Ottawa and British Columbia to convert more than 2,200 vacant condo units into affordable homes.