New report details 'concerning' structural damage at Elizabeth Ziegler Public School

CBC

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A crumbling façade is just the beginning of several major structural issues plaguing Elizabeth Zielger Public School (EZPS) in Waterloo, according to a long-awaited engineering report released Wednesday.
The report, first mentioned at a community meeting in March, was ordered by the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) after bricks fell from the outside walls of EZPS, forcing a closure that at first lasted just two days, then two weeks, and now the remainder of this school year and next.
But according to the report, engineers have discovered additional issues with the building, including steel-beamed headers, floor and roof joists that are moderately to severely corroded, posing "safety concerns to any occupants inside or around the building."
The report continues by saying "repairing the deteriorated structural members is a critical step to reinstating occupancy for the school."
School board's plan
The board says they plan to repair the school by installing a new steel frame on the interior, with new foundations to support it. Once that has been completed, repairs to the façade can begin.
Bill Lemon is the associate director of business services at WRDSB. He told CBC News the report is encouraging, mapping out "a way forward to restore the school and regain occupancy for the staff and students."
"What I'm excited about is the proposed steel frame that's going to be incorporated into the building," said Lemon, adding that it "will allow us to use that building for a much longer period of time."
But before work can begin, a design report for the restoration and repair of EZPS needs to be presented for approval to the City of Waterloo Municipal Heritage Committee.
"We're hoping that we can have that sooner rather than later because that is an important step in this process for us to make sure that our proposed design meets with their expectations," said Lemon.
Funding the repairs and restorations is also a concern.
"It would be a capital project and we would be drawing on whole number of fiscal resources," said Lemon.
"For the potential size of a project such as this, we would need to engage the ministry [of education] and make them aware," he said.
Lemon said that "as it is right now … with some support, we would be able to manage that within our own resource envelope."
A full cost of the project is not yet available.
For parent Suzie Taka, the report finally being released brings some relief, but doesn't exactly put her fears to rest.
"I don't love the idea that we need entirely new steel beams," said Taka, whose son had been attending EZPS for the past two years.
"That feels concerning about what the state of the school was."
However, despite news that damages far exceeded what she originally thought, Taka said she is glad to finally have some answers.
"I'll be honest, I was actually thrilled when I first opened the email," she said.
"We've all been most concerned about it being a tear down and the timeline."
Now that the report has been released, Taka said she's curious what the next steps are.
"I have big questions about what things will cost, what their plans are for funding, any timeline would be great and any contingency plans, if things become ongoing and they uncover more concerns," she said.
"I think it's very hard when we keep getting these direct communications and we don't get to have an actual conversation."
Communication and timelines are concerns shared by parent Ian McDonald, who has been vocal in his quest for answers from the school board and its trustees.
He's concerned repairs won't be done in time.
"There are only 15 months until the start of the 2026-2027 school year," he said in an email to CBC News.
The WRDSB release containing the engineering report said the next update is expected on June 25.