Petition by parents of Hazel Trembath Elementary inquires about rebuild

A online petition has been launched by parents of Hazel Trembath Elementary, calling for more transparency during the rebuild process of the torched school.

The Port Coquitlam school burned down in October due to a suspected arson, according to police.

Andrea Rodriguez has a daughter in Grade 2 who now commutes to Coquitlam by bus to go to school at the Winslow Centre alongside 220 other students.

“We are asking the minister right now to really be transparent with the parents and to tell us when they are going to rebuild or what they are thinking about it. Because they have not been very open about it,” Rodriguez said.

“It has been a lot of change, especially because they are losing fifty minutes of education per day because they are riding the busses.”

The petition, that now has more than one thousand signatures, says: “We understand that rebuilding will take time and resources. However, we believe that restoring this institution should be a priority for School District 43 and the Province of BC. We urge them to approve the rebuild of the school.”

Shortly after the fire in October, all that was left of the school was a giant pile of debris.

Now, the scene looks quite different, with most of the debris demolished and cleaned up by crews on-site.

However, the timeline of when or if there will be a rebuild remains a big question mark.

A statement from the school district says the Ministry of Education and Child Care makes the final decision on rebuilding the school, which has yet to be made.

“School District 43 (Coquitlam) is providing the ministry with as much information as possible to aid them in coming to a decision. There is willingness by SD43 to address the needs of the Hazel Trembath school community, but further actions will be dependent on the options selected/awarded by the ministry,” it stated.

In an email to CityNews, the Ministry of Education confirms it’s working with the school district during this process, but did not confirm whether the school will be rebuilt or not.

For Rodriguez, the rebuild can’t come soon enough.

“The fact that the minister can rebuild (the kids’) school and they can be back at their place, that will really help them to heal emotionally,” she said.

“And it will give them the confidence that the government and the minister are there for them.”

Rodriguez says the temporary centre is not big enough for both the elementary and the daycare long term, and the building is outside the community for many students.

She, along with many other parents, says a new Hazel Trembath is necessary to bring the tight-knit community back together.