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Hamilton Spectator
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Port Moody to call on province to reform school planning in face of housing supply push
Port Moody council is calling on the province to overhaul how it plans and funds schools, warning that communities facing mandated housing growth are being left without the infrastructure to support new families. On June 10, council unanimously approved a motion to be submitted to the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention this September, urging the province align school construction timelines with population growth targets imposed under the Housing Supply Act and transit-oriented development legislation. 'This is not the first time I've brought up the challenges . . . not just for cities with SkyTrain stations, but even ones with small transit hubs,' said Coun. Callan Morrison, who authored the motion. 'The province rolled bills 44 and 47 out with really no consultation with local municipalities.' Morrison warned that cities like Port Moody, designated under the Housing Supply Act to meet ambitious housing targets, are being forced to grow without corresponding plans for essential services like schools, hospitals, and supportive housing. 'If they're going to force and mandate housing numbers upon our cities, they need to make sure they're providing all the provisions: health care as well as schools, by the time those are due,' he said. 'This motion is written to highlight just one of the challenges.' The motion, which will now head to UBCM for consideration, calls on the province to move away from its reactive, enrollment-based approach to school planning and instead fund new schools based on projected growth and legislated population targets. The current approach, council argued, creates long delays in school construction that leave students and families in overcrowded facilities or with long commutes to neighbouring communities. Coun. Kyla Knowles said council has raised these concerns repeatedly, including in meetings with two separate provincial education ministers. 'We are meeting regularly with our school district board – I can tell you, they are just as frustrated as we are,' she said. 'If we have to keep beating this drum every year, then so be it, because our students and our kids deserve the best.' Knowles also questioned provincial spending priorities, referencing recent reports about the growth of public sector employees, and noting the strain on local services. 'It's really hard when communities like ours are struggling to provide affordable housing, sufficient doctors, health care and schools.' Coun. Samantha Agtarap called for planning innovation, stating the old ways were 'no longer good enough.' She pointed out that delays often mean schools are full the day they open. 'There is an opportunity to move forward in such a way that we're not behind the eight ball always,' she said. Port Moody's resolution will be circulated to the ministries of education and municipal affairs, and joins what Morrison hopes will be a chorus of similar calls from other municipalities at this year's UBCM. 'I certainly hope that this is not the only version of this motion being put forward,' he said. 'It does affect so many.' Anticipating similar resolutions will be brought to UBCM by other B.C. municipalities, Agtarap suggested council find joint sponsors to add weight to the request. The motion reflects a growing frustration among Port Moody councillors regarding the province's long-term planning around school capacity. Many of the concerns were recently raised after the Coquitlam School District submitted its school site proposal for approval. After attempting to reject the proposal, council had to reverse course after the district warned of potential provincial intervention. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
05-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Wrong way to plan': SD43's school site proposal rejected by Port Moody council
In a surprising move, Port Moody councillors rejected a usually routine capital planning proposal submitted by the Coquitlam School Board. On April 22, council unanimously voted to not accept the district's annual resolution, which identifies eligible school sites in order to secure future capital funding from the province. The official reason given was a proposed waterfront school at the historic Flavelle Mill site relies on development of private property which has not yet received a rezoning application. However, several councillors criticized the general methodology the province uses to plan for new schools, which they said is outdated and leaves school capacity lagging behind. 'This is the wrong way to plan,' said Coun. Callan Morrison. 'It just feels very much like a pipe dream, and I fear an exercise in unrealistic planning, as there are too many factors that can prevent the school district from delivering on this.' The Coquitlam School District's 2026–2027 Eligible School Sites Proposal (ESSP) proposes a need for six new elementary schools in Coquitlam and Port Moody between 2026 and 2035, with an estimated land acquisition cost of $192.7 million. ESSPs outline the number, location, size, and cost of new school sites based on projected enrollment, and local school districts are required to pass them annually under the Local Government Act and School Act. Port Moody is expected to see an additional 6,205 residential units built over the next ten years, adding roughly 804 new school-aged kids. Across the district, 26,490 new dwelling units are expected – slightly fewer than previous estimates – generating roughly 4,595 additional students. Coquitlam is expected to account for 67.9 percent of the projected residential development 67.9 percent, followed by Port Moody at 23.4 percent, Port Coquitlam at 7.7 percent, and Anmore and Belcarra at a combined 0.9 percent. Five of the proposed school sites are located in Coquitlam, while Port Moody is slated to receive a single new site. Most of Port Moody's anticipated housing will come in the form of high-rise apartments and multi-family dwellings, particularly through major projects like Woodland Park, Coronation Park, and early-stage applications in the Moody Centre transit-oriented development (TOD) area. The proposed new school site in Port Moody would be located along the waterfront to serve the anticipated surge of families, according to the ESSP. It states the location is intended to to minimize the need for students to cross busy streets and railway lines. The Flavelle Oceanfront Development plans to build over 3,300 new homes across the 34-acres of industrial land adjacent to Rocky Point Park. While the site has been designated as a redevelopment area since 2008, and Port Moody's most recent official community plan (OCP) permits towers up to 38 storeys, no official applications have been submitted to the city. Manager of Policy Planning Mary De Paoli said the school site has been on the books for a long time, and pointed out that Coquitlam's new school in the Fraser Mills Development was planned under a similar approach. However, Morrison said he couldn't endorse the ESSP as it's not a 'deliverable plan.' 'How can our province be planning school provision based on a private landowner's property possibly being built out over the next 25 to 40 years in their five-year capital plan?' he said. Morrison went on to raise concerns about whether the ESSP accounted for the increased density being mandated around transit stations and through small scale multi-unit housing under new provincial housing legislation. He also voiced broad frustrations regarding how the province plans new schools, stating school districts have to reach capacity before capital funding is provided for expansions. 'There's a perfect example of this type of planning happening with the new Moody Elementary School,' Morrison said. 'It will likely be at capacity by the time it's built.' De Paoli said that SD43 staff have recognized the significant impact that provincial housing legislation will have on student enrolment in the city, and noted they have indicated they want to retain the old Moody Elementary site for another potential school. Couns. Samantha Agtarap and Kyla Knowles both pointed out these issues have been frequently raised through the Union of BC Municipalities. 'The current status quo of planning for schools is disconnected from the reality of what our school children are experiencing,' Agtarap said. 'We need to be more forward thinking and understand ways that we can address school capacity in a more timely manner.' Knowles, on the other hand, said she was inclined to reject the proposal 'to send a message.' 'The planning isn't good enough,' she said. 'I feel like we're not being heard.' Mayor Meghan Lahti said that while she recognized that planners were likely looking at projected growth in Port Moody's OCP, she agreed with her colleagues' frustrations. She said the council will be able to voice their concerns to the school district in a future meeting.
