The British Columbia government says new schools and hundreds of places for pupils are opening in several communities as students head back to class next week.
A statement from the Infrastructure Ministry shows nearly 2,200 new seats are opening at schools in seven districts, with more yet to be announced.
A new elementary school is opening in Langford, west of Victoria, with 480 seats for students in Kindergarten through Grade 5.
In Trail, the ministry says the new Glenmerry Elementary school fully replaces the old building and expands its capacity, adding 156 new seats for a total of 435.
The province is adding seats throughout the Lower Mainland this fall, including more than 700 across three elementary schools in Surrey.
A statement from Education Minister Lisa Beare says creating the right learning environment is crucial for students' success and she was "thrilled" to see the province's investments "making a real difference for students."
A total of 360 seats are opening at two elementary schools in Abbotsford, while prefabricated additions at Ladner Elementary in Delta and R.C. Talmey Elementary in Richmond will add 150 seats each.
In Kelowna, a prefabricated addition to Chief Tomat Elementary creates 165 seats.
More seats are set to be announced in the Langley School District.
The province has earmarked more than $6 billion for school capital projects since 2017, creating nearly 43,000 new spaces, the Infrastructure Ministry says.
B.C. Conservative infrastructure critic Misty Van Popta responded to the announcement with a statement saying the NDP government was "re-announcing" delayed projects in a bid to distract from its failures to deliver new spaces on time.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
