Students and parents in Port Coquitlam, B.C., gathered Monday to mark the one-year anniversary of their school burning to the ground.
Hazel Trembath Elementary was destroyed by a massive early morning fire on Oct. 14, 2023.
An RCMP investigation concluded the fire was both human-caused and criminal in nature, though no one has been charged.
Since the fire, the school’s 250 students have been commuting 20 minutes by bus to the Winslow Centre for class.
Parents say the temporary fix does not replace the school they once loved, and that they’re frustrated with the lack of a timeline to rebuild Hazel Trembath.
“A year has passed and we’re being promised a new school but nothing formal has been given so we have no dates, no idea of when our kids will return to their community,” parent Alaina Milicevic told Global News.
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“I’ve actually kind of gotten used to getting on the bus but I still miss having the three playgrounds,” added Grade 3 student Abigail Castirllon.
“In Winslow, we only have one tiny playground.”
On Monday, armed with T-shirts, cookies and a massive thank-you card, the school community visited Port Coquitlam Fire Hall No. 1 as to express gratitude to the firefighters who fought long and hard to save the school.
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