Students in Masset, B.C., are now learning in a newly upgraded school designed to protect them from natural disasters, thanks to Canada’s first tsunami evacuation tower.
Daaxiigan Sk’adáa Née Secondary, a newly amalgamated K-12 school, now features the 10-metre-tall structure on its grounds, a significant safety upgrade for the remote coastal community. Previously, the nearest evacuation safe zone was more than 10 kilometres away.
The project is part of the provincial government’s Seismic Mitigation Program, which provided more than $16 million for the upgrades. The Haida Gwaii Board of Education contributed $250,000 to the renovations.
“Every family deserves to know their children will be safe at school, especially in coastal, remote communities like Masset,” said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care. “I’m proud that this one-of-a-kind project will protect the health and safety of the school community for decades to come.”
The newly upgraded facility is home to both Daaxiigan Sk’adáa Née Secondary and Tahaygen Elementary students. The consolidation of the schools into a single site will allow the district to save approximately $350,000 annually in operating costs, with those savings redirected to support classroom resources.
Jennifer Rice, MLA for North Coast and Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health, highlighted the importance of the project for the region. “Masset is a unique community, which is why our local families need a unique school to ensure students can be successful and safe, especially if a major disaster were to occur,” she said.
In addition to the tsunami tower, the upgrades include a new main entrance, a special-education room, and a space for secondary students to learn the Xaad Kil Haida language.
Roeland Denooij, vice-chair of the Haida Gwaii School District, praised the project and its potential benefits for students. “As the first K-12 school in the district, we look forward to seeing the positive results for student achievement as our staffing and resources are all in one building for the communities of northern Haida Gwaii,” he said.
The Seismic Mitigation Program is a long-term investment in school infrastructure throughout British Columbia. Since 2017, the province has allocated over $5 billion to improve schools, resulting in 37,000 new student spaces and more than 38,000 seismically safer seats across the province.
