Garden Valley School Division (GVSD) students returned to class this fall with a number of behind-the-scenes upgrades having been completed across schools throughout the summer.
Secretary Treasurer Kevin Vovchuk said the division’s maintenance team, led by supervisor Davis Wieler, was busy over the summer months, taking advantage of empty classrooms to finish the projects.
Major building upgrades
Among the most significant upgrades was a provincially funded roof replacement at GVC Tech, which Vovchuk said has already held up well through the season’s heavy rains. Other projects included concrete work at Southwood, Parkland, and Northlands Parkway Collegiate, as well as a brand-new gym floor at Southwood School.
At Winkler Elementary School, crews carried out repairs on the building’s aging elevator and completed asbestos abatement in the crawl space, work Vovchuk noted could only be safely done while staff and students were away.
The division also tackled a sewer relining at Garden Valley Collegiate, and GVSD’s IT department oversaw a full replacement of the intercom system at Plum Coulee School, resolving ongoing issues that had caused disruptions in recent years.
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Projects continuing into fall
While most projects wrapped up before the first day of school, some work will continue into the fall. That includes boiler system upgrades at Northlands Parkway Collegiate, delayed due to part shortages, as well as the creation of a new meeting room at GVC Tech designed for both staff and student use.
See the full list of GVSD’s summer project’s listed below:
GVC Tech
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Roof replacement (provincially funded)
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Sewer relining
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New meeting room (in progress, expected by end of year)
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Minor roof finishing touches (flashing, small items)
Southwood School
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Concrete work
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Gym floor replacement
Parkland School
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Concrete work
Northlands Parkway Collegiate (NPC)
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Concrete work
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Boiler system upgrades (in progress, parts delayed)
Winkler Elementary School (WES)
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Elevator repairs
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Asbestos abatement in crawl space
Plum Coulee School
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Full intercom system replacement