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Construction is underway on a new gym for students at Upper Halfway school.
The education ministry announced $5.72 million for the project last August, and said in a release Tuesday that construction is expected to be completed in fall 2023.
"School District 60 is excited by the opportunities the new gym will bring for our students at Upper Halfway and the community in general," said Helen Gilbert, chair of the Peace River North School District board, in a statement.
"The gym will allow for expanded physical education offerings year round."
According to the ministry, the school was originally built in 1960 with no gym. Students from the Halfway River First Nation and surrounding Russian- and German-speaking communities have been using the local community hall for indoor activities.
The new gym is being built to LEED Gold environmental standards, and will be both accessible and include features such as a servery to support community gatherings, the province said.
"A great school is at the heart of every strong community, and our government's work to invest in schools is one of the many ways we're making life better for families in B.C.," said education minister Jennifer Whiteside in a statement.
School District 60 is contributing nearly $29,000 to the project, according the ministry.
About 65% of the students at Upper Halfway identify as Indigenous, and many are English Language Learners as their primary language is not English or is a non-standard dialect, according to the ministry.
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