TUMBLER RIDGE, B.C. - Work is now underway to remove Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, more than five months after a mass shooting at the school claimed six lives and devastated the northeast B.C. community.
In an update to families and residents, School District No. 59 said the process of removing the existing school has begun and will continue throughout the summer.
The district said the work will be carried out using a trauma-informed approach and is expected to be completed this fall.
District officials said the decision follows months of consultation with students, families, staff, Indigenous partners, community members and experts.
Based on those discussions, the district requested provincial support to build a new secondary school at a different location in Tumbler Ridge while removing the existing building.
To reduce disruption and protect privacy, most furniture and other movable items will be removed from inside the building and transported in covered trucks.
The school itself will be dismantled in stages rather than demolished using more disruptive methods. Building materials will be taken to regional landfills, with the Tumbler Ridge landfill not being used.
The district also announced that school signs and flags would be removed during the week of July 20, giving community members an opportunity to reflect on the school’s significance before those visible reminders are taken down.
While work continues at the site, preparations are underway for the upcoming school year.
The district said a central complex for the community’s Kodiak Campus is expected to arrive later this month.
The facility will include washrooms, offices, counselling spaces, staff work areas and a student gathering space, and is expected to be ready when classes resume in September.
Planning is also advancing for a replacement secondary school. In the coming weeks, the district and B.C.’s Ministry of Infrastructure will begin selecting an architect to develop design concepts.
Community consultation is expected to begin this fall, allowing students, families, staff and residents to provide feedback on plans for the new school.
The decision to replace the school follows one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings.
On February 10, an 18-year-old former student killed her mother and sibling before going to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where five students and a teacher’s aide were killed. The gunwoman later took her own life.
Since the shooting, students have been attending classes in temporary facilities while plans for a permanent replacement school move forward.
In June, the federal and provincial governments announced $200 million for projects in Tumbler Ridge, including construction of a new secondary school and upgrades to the community’s health centre.
Construction on the replacement school is expected to begin following completion of the current site removal and design process.