School upgrade with Tsunami safety in mind coming for Masset area

Planned upgrades for Gudangaay Tlaats'gaa Nagy School in Masset
will include Canada's first Tsunami Evacuation Tower

Students attending school in Masset will be watching with interest over the next few years as the Province of British Columbia, upgrades the Gudangaay Tlaats'gaa Nagy School which when complete will make for a unified school that will feature Canada's first-ever tsunami evacuation tower to offer more protection fo the community from earthquake and any accompanying tsunami.

The announcement  was made on Wednesday by Jennifer Whiteside the British Columbia Minister of Education who noted of the one of a kind project that is ahead.

“Every family deserves to know their children will be safe at school, especially in coastal, remote communities like Masset,. Our government’s Seismic Mitigation Program is investing in schools and communities throughout our province, and I can’t wait to see this one-of-a-kind project completed to protect the health and safety of the school community.”

The Government is providing 16.5 million dollars for the seismic upgrades and new tsunami evacuation tower at the school with the Haida Gwaii Board of Education contributing 250,000 dollars.

Once complete, the school with be home to both GTN and Tahaygen Elementary students as part of a single site, K-12 facility.  By shifting towards a single, amalgamated school, the Haida Gwaii Board will be able to save nearly $350,000 in annual operating costs, so more resources can be put into classrooms to support student success. 

North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice also took note of the Wednesday announcement.

“Masset is a unique community, which is why our local families need a unique school to ensure students can be successful and safe, especially if a major disaster were to occur. We are proud of this collaboration with the Haida Gwaii Board of Education on a solution that will benefit this community and provide a safer learning environment for students.”  

Construction on GTN and the tsunami evacuation tower is expected to begin in summer 2021 and to be completed by fall 2022. The new tower will be a 10-metre tall steel structure built on school property that includes storage for emergency supplies. This will be a significant improvement, as the current evacuation safe zone is more than 10 kilometres away from the school.

The full announcement on the upgrade project can be reviewed here.

Further notes on Education in the Northwest can be explored here.