Dangerously hot portable classrooms in New West must be addressed
- Jun 11
- 2 min read
NWP school trustee candidates call on province to fund practical measures to ensure children have safe classrooms on hot days
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Westminster, B.C. (June 11, 2026) — New Westminster Progressives (NWP) school trustee candidates are calling on the province and New Westminster Schools to urgently fund practical cooling measures for overheated portables now while the school district awaits desperately needed new schools.
One in four New Westminster Schools students currently learn in portables. On hot days many of their classrooms are sweltering – sometimes hitting unsafe temperatures. Recently, the gravity of the problem was highlighted when a district student reportedly required emergency medical attention due to the heat.
“The provincial government must provide immediate funding for practical cooling measures until more schools are built in the city,” says Liz Fajber, NWP school trustee candidate in this fall’s election. “No child should have their learning interrupted because their classroom is just too hot.”
It would cost an estimated $2.5 to $3 million to upgrade the district’s electrical grid to accommodate air conditioning and to purchase and install AC units for portables – money the school district does not have in its budget. Meanwhile, a new elementary school isn’t set to open for another two years, leaving students in uncomfortable, unsafe spaces detrimental to their learning.
“Surely, if the province can find $800 million for a soccer tournament it can find a few dollars so our children don’t have to swelter in hot portables on game day,” adds Daniel Fontaine, NWP mayoral candidate. “When we are elected, the city will work closely with the school district to identify the property needed for more schools. Until those new schools are built cooling portables is critical to bridge the gap.”
The province needs to provide at least some funding for targeted air-conditioning in priority portables. Other solutions such as planting more shade trees, adding insulation, misting stations, and building outdoor learning spaces could help at least some portables and schools, and be done relatively quickly.
“New West parents have been advocating for practical solutions for years, but their pleas have gone unanswered in Victoria,” says Don Doyle, also an NWP school trustee candidate. “It is time for the provincial government to step up for our children, so they don’t have to sit through more days trying to learn in unbearably hot portable classrooms. Our children deserve better.”
As our climate changes, more frequent and intense heat events during the school year are expected, lending more urgency to the matter.
All six NWP school trustee candidates have committed to working with school district staff, the city, and province to resolve this critical issue when elected, and will insist the province step up with the funding needed to ensure every student has a safe learning environment.
MEDIA CONTACT
Shawn Hall,
604-619-7913
