Rick Stiebel/News Gazette staff
With site preparation work already well underway, the official groundbreaking ceremony of shovels in the ground marked more of a symbolic step towards the building of a Brookes Westshore IB School in Colwood.
School co-founder Jerry Salvador said the groundbreaking last Friday is a major milestone in the progress of an extensive process that began seven years ago.
He thanked Dan Spinner, a former director of the WestShore Chamber of Commerce, for his efforts in getting the project off the ground and co-founder Graham Brown for his work and vision for the school.
Salvador also had praise for Colwood Council and Mayor Carol Hamilton. “They have steadfastly supported and welcomed Brookes into the West Shore community,” Salvador said.
He also thanked a host of others involved in the design and construction of what Salvador described as a school that will become an “urban oasis,” and credited the architect for coming up with a design that incorporated the natural beauty of the site.
Hamilton said it’s good to be able to add another educational option for the community.
“Education is such an important part of our future,” she noted. “It’s great to see this school moving ahead.”
The International Baccalaureate program school, which is slated to open in September 2018, is being built on a 2.8 acre site on Sooke Road near Royal Roads University.
The school will offer grades 6 to 12, with half of the 300 students expected to come from the Capital Region and half from other countries.