The new Oak Bay High will likely house more than just a school

There’s the blown electrical breakers. And the water flooding in the theatre.

“And us running between buildings,” says vice-principal Garrett Brisdon, “(due to) having two separate offices with two computers.”

Those are just some of the things Oak Bay High’s administrators won’t miss when the old school is replaced.

Although Brisdon and principal Dave Thomson have some idea of what they don’t want to see in the new $52-million high school, due to open in 2012, they are receptive to any and all ideas about what the new school should look like.

For those interested in adding their two cents on what form the school should take and what functions it should fulfill, a one-day forum is being organized for late November.

But there are some jumping-off points.

The school will need to be more than just a school, says Thomson, who is point man for the the three-storey school’s construction.

“We don’t want to (say) ‘no, we’re just building a school here, folks.’ We’re making sure we’re doing something that is not like it’s been done before. It’s going to be here for 75 to 100 years.”

The school must act as a hub for the community, he says.

“Schools have for too long been (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) operations. How can you take a $52 million structure and lock it down for two months in summer and say all we’re doing is polishing the floors?”

Instead, the building could include such facilities as a seniors’ woodworking workshop or a public archives. A local performing arts school may move its stage productions there. With architects striving for LEED platinum status, the building could have geothermal heat and a rainwater catchment system.

“Nothing is impossible,” Thomson says.

Because the two existing wings of the school must remain in place until construction is complete, Thomson already knows the footprint of the new building is a linear structure parallel to Cadboro Bay Road between the two existing buildings. Because of its placement, two rugby/soccer fields will end up behind the new school.

The $52 million pledged by the Ministry of Education covers the nuts and bolts of the project, due to begin in June 2011. Funding has to be found elsewhere for the bells and whistles, like a 450-seat performing arts centre that could include a ticket booth, storage and a choral/dance studio.

“It’s not ‘dream your dream and we’ll supply the money,’” Thomson says of ministry directives for the school’s design.

“It’s ‘dream your dream and we will do all those things we can that are appropriate and are inside the window that we do.’”

Brisdon and Thomson are visiting other districts in Port Alberni, Cowichan and Vancouver where new schools have recently been built.

To stay on track, they and a team of planners from the political, community, education and recreation sectors, as well as architect Rod Windjack and some members of the public, will brainstorm at the November workshop.

Details about the date and time for the visioning forum will be published in the News later this month.

After the November planning meeting, public information sessions will be set for January. A community consultation report to the ministry is due by end of March, before the detailed design process can begin.

Thomson knows not every wish list will be checked off.

“Not everybody is going to be able to get everything they want – the school won’t; the community won’t. Maybe there’s some person who suddenly decides ‘OK, I’m in for $20 million,’ but I’m being realistic.”

Possibility to share benefit of expansion

The Canadian College of Performing Arts, based on Elgin Street in Oak Bay, is just one organization that could benefit from an Oak Bay High rebuild.

Besides performing at its 200-seat venue, CCPA stages productions around Victoria. It does, however, relish the opportunity to perform in a larger venue in Oak Bay, said college spokesperson Steven Seltzer.

“We’re thrilled at what Oak Bay is doing. It sounds like they’re building a state-of-the-art performing arts centre,” he said.

CCPA puts on six performances every season in the McPherson Playhouse plus the Metro and Royal Theatres in downtown Victoria.

vmoreau@saanichnews.com

Give us your thoughts

• What facilities do you think would be a good fit for the new Oak Bay High? Please e-mail us at editor@oakbaynews.com or write us at Letters to the editor, Oak Bay News, 818 Broughton St., Victoria, B.C., V8W 1E4.