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B.C. is leading Western Canada as it launches deep into prefab schools with its $156 million pilot project to fast-track much-needed class space following Ontario’s 2019 lead, where districts were high on enrolments and low on cash. 

Other western provinces such as Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are using mainly modular units to stop-gap classroom shortages.

“Prefabricated classrooms are one solution that gets more students into classrooms faster and supports operating savings for school districts,” a representative from B.C.’s Ministry of Education and Child Care said via email. “Prefabricated additions can be located onsite as standalone classrooms or connected to existing school buildings.”

Built to current standards, the permanent schools have a lifespan of 30 to 50 years.

The BC Real Estate Association has estimated the province will see 217,500 new permanent residents from 2023 to 2025 or 100,500 more new permanent residents than would be expected based on historical average immigration levels. 

High immigrant area Surrey is seeing 83 per cent of its 124 schools at over-flow capacity, with the district’s overall utilization rate (the number of students enrolled divided by classroom capacity) sitting at 103 per cent.

Education Minister Rachna Singh announced eight school districts would be receiving prefab additions for 104 new classrooms and accommodating 2,535 students. The schools are located in Kelowna, Dawson Creek, Langley, Surrey, Richmond, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Langford and Colwood with many expected to be ready in 2025. 

June announcements saw prefab structures in Surrey where three new prefabs will add 17 classrooms to be ready by fall 2025.

“With the use of prefab, the build time can be cut in half, making a big difference in building spaces sooner,” said Singh in a release. 

In Abbotsford, the province will add $12 million for a prefab addition to Abbotsford Middle School.

The Coquitlam school district has three prefab schools either finished or in construction. They include a two-storey prefab building at the Scott Creek Middle school, while an $18 million two-storey prefab building will be complete in fall 2025 beside the Dr. Charles Best Secondary, which has an early completed prefab addition.

B.C. ‘s EXO™ Construction Group has benefited from the student crush; it is currently providing prefab buildings at the Scott Creek Middle School and two schools in the Vancouver Island Sooke school district for the start of the 2024/25 school year in Langford and Colwood.

As school districts across Canada struggle with student growth, Alberta also has another dimension as it has launched its third phase of its Alberta Calling program which offers a $5,000 refundable tax credit to the first 2,000 tradesmen coming to the province.  

Statistics Canada figures show Alberta’s population surged by 202,324 residents in 2023, the largest historical increase as 550 people arrived daily with immigration fuelling the growth.  

Alberta’s province-wide modular program moves modular classrooms from school to school as needed. The government’s three-year capital investment program allocates $103 million over three years to supply modular classrooms to schools facing significant capacity challenges.

Calgary is seeing a doubling of student numbers. The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) has 850 modular units that it relocates according to population increases. 

CBE superintendent of facilities and environmental services Dany Breton said the past two years have added 13,000 new students into the district.

“We have had boom and bust years in the past depending what happens with the oil industry, but that has only seen 1,000 or 2,000, maybe 3,000 in a strong year,” he said “But, this is double what we normally see.”

Breton said the board asked for ministry funding to add 68 new modular classrooms – the most it has ever requested – and relocate of 12 existing. The CBE received approval for only 12 new units and relocation of six. The CBE is now with the ministry to resolve problems, shifting students to areas where there is capacity and working with third-partners who have room space available that can be used for classrooms, Breton said.  

“It is for the Government of Alberta to deliver new school structure,” he said, adding currently the focus is on a permanent core and add-on modular units. However, he has heard of some whole modular school construction.  

“There is no one silver bullet and we are working on many different fronts, whether it is modular to rapidly create new space, whether adding to existing school or standalone schools,” he said.

Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools is considering a K-9 standalone modular school to be built at the Northwestern Polytechnic campus. It would include classrooms, a library and offices paces plus playground facilities. It has yet to be built.