By Tom Mark

Support Strong For Outdoor School In North Okanagan Shuswap

Feb 26, 2018 | 7:38 AM

Plans are moving along well for the South Canoe Outdoor Learning School in the North Okanagan-Shuswap School District.

The school is to open this fall.

“Progress is underway regarding the site renovations. It will get a little easier to do that once the temperature rises a few degrees. But it’s all good and right now we’re just waiting for permission from the Agricultural Land Commission.”

The school sits on ALR land.

McKay figures approval could come within 2 or 3 months.

Go Indoors When The Thunder Roars

Thunderstorm warning issued in the North Okanagan

16h ago

Mid to High 30s

Heat warning issued for the Okanagan

17h ago

Hazy Skies

North Okanagan air quality declined as wildfire smoke settled in the valley

20h ago

Registration for the school is already full

“It was capped at 110 but it’s 111 because the last couple of students were siblings, so 111 students.”

McKay says the outdoor school will also benefit other schools in the region.

“We were really pleased to see that when the expressions of interest came in, some of those expressions came in from schools where there has been some enrolment pressure and with the new class language and so on some of the other space pressures.”

As for the renovations, McKay approved an expenditure of 455 thousand dollars.

But he says that’s less than what it would have cost to bring in portable classrooms to accommodate those 110 children at other schools.

by Tom Mark