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It's easy to see why we needed a new school. Our old school was build right up against Highway 3.
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Road improvements during the 70's and 80's resulted in increased traffic, particularly in huge freight trucks. This heavy traffic caused windows and lights in the school to vibrate.
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Safety of students was becoming an big concern. School busses had to stop on the side of the highway to pick up and drop off passengers. Some even stopped on the far side of the highway, and a crosswalk guard was on duty to ensure their safety.
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Finally some adjoining land was acquired and construction started in the spring of 1995. The process seemed agonizingly slow, but gradually a new school took shape.
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The traditional sod-turning ceremony was performed by several Grade 7 students.
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Here we see the front of the school, a heating unit being lifted into place, and the roof insulation being installed.
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Before we left our old school, however, we held a Grand Reunion and invited all of Erickson's former students and staff to come for one last look at the old building.
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When we arrived at school early Saturday morning, we found this huge truck trailer parked just where we wanted to put our welcoming signs. The driver had disappeared and couldn't be found, so we used the truck as the sign. We often wondered what the driver had thought when he returned later that weekend to find his truck so beautifully decorated.
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The Erickson School Reunion & Tea took place on Saturday, May 1 between 1 and 4 in the afternoon. Many came to share their memories of the old place and to look at memorabilia. Reminiscing flowed quickly and smoothly as the tea cups were filled and dessert plates were refilled.
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Three generations of Erickson students
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Read a small sampling of some of those long ago memories by clicking here.
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On February 9, 1996, we moved into our new, although not completely finished, new school. The side walk stretching over the mud to the front door crosses what is now our bus turn-around.
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Our old school stood empty, abandoned, and rather forlorn. Nothing was wasted, as over the next few months, district workers stripped the school of anything that might be useable. Most of the shelving units, for example, moved to the new school with us.
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Over the next few months, the school was demolished. Now our main driveway and parking lot cover the ground on which is once stood. The only evidence that a school once existed so close to the highway lives in old photographs and in our memories.
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And the old school starts to come down, piece by piece.
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The Official Opening took place on September 27, 1996. During the afternoon assembly for our students, the school choir performed, special local guest planted memorial trees, and the ribbon was cut.
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Guests included Dave Douglas (secretary-treasurer) Connie McFadden, Alfred Bennallck (Ministry of Education) Lawrence Lavender (Assistant Superintendent), Albert Brunham (School Board).
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The evening program of our Official Opening included Dave Douglas, Secretary-Treasurer of SD#49, Dave Mack inlay, Superintendent, Connie McFadden, long-time Erickson resident and staff member, and Corky Evans, our local NDP MLA bringing greetings from the Province of BC,
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RIGHT: Students (former and present) entertain the huge crowd at the opening ceremonies ---
Amanda Anderson, cello
Sarah Anderson, violin
Karl Sommerfeld, violin
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Other guests included Audrey Vance, School Board chair, Elvin Masuch from the Regional District, Larry McFarland, who presented the 'key" and represented the architectural firm which designed the school, Peter Turje, project architect, and Albert Brunham, our school board representative. Entertainment was provided by the school choir and by Amanda Anderson, one of our talented students.
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Here, Molly Collier cuts the cake at the at our opening celebrations. The Colliers have operated their small apple orchard and lived next to the school for many years. They've watched their children and now their grandchildren progress through Erickson School, and their property was needed to build the new school.
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The cake was designed in the shape of the new school, following the blueprints. Each area was labeled with icing. |
