Hamber’s Seismic Upgrade: An Update

Photo by Reya Khanna

The construction of a new seismically upgraded Hamber has recently begun, with the frame of the building taking shape. The purpose of the new building is to have a seismically secure structure, as to ensure the safety of staff and students, considering that the current Hamber is not earthquake-proof. The new Hamber building is expected to open September 2023, located on the previous track field. The current school will be demolished and the track will be rebuilt on its grounds. Hamber students will get their track back in 10 years, but could be forced to wait until 2035. This is dependent on the speed at which other Vancouver schools are being made seismically safe. The current Hamber building will become a swing site due to its central location, acting as a temporary residence for schools going through a seismic upgrade.

Until the Seismic Mitigation Program is over, it is not known which other schools will use the swing space.

Students are excited to be entering the new building due to its new and modern redesign. The rooms will be organized for the benefit of new students, making it easier to find classes, contrary to the confusing layout at the current Hamber.

There are two student representatives on the school’s seismic advisory group, as well as teachers, and support and district staff who have expressed their thoughts on the project through the School Advisory Group (SAG). The Hamber Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) and District Parent Advisory Committee (DPAC) have imputed their thoughts as well. Together, they have helped to input the community’s voice into the project, successfully advocating for the addition of an auditorium to the new school’s plan.

The provincial government is providing $94.1 million of the $105.9 million required to construct the new facility, according to a government press release from May of this year.

However, the school will be the smallest school per student in all of Vancouver. The Project Definition Report (PDR) states student population will be capped at 110 per cent and consist of 1700 domestic students as well as 175 international students. There
is concern from the PDR that the new Hamber will not meet the needs of the area’s growing demographic. The PDR calls for further potential mitigations of reduced catchment and/or movement of special programs.

Compared to the current school, the new school will be 30 per cent smaller, with an auditorium half the size of the current one, as well as smaller gym spaces, outdoor places, and smaller rooms for the drama, art, music, and fashion design programs. Due to the school being constructed on the track, it takes up space that would have otherwise been used by the athletics department. The current library at Hamber contains two floors, with it being a communal space for students to study and work. The new library will be over 50 per cent smaller and with little to no storage space. Most students enjoy having a full-sized locker to fit more of their belongings and class materials, but the new school will have half-sized lockers. General circulation and common spaces will shrink by 30 per cent as well.

Within the new school, there will be additional space, such as student huddle areas. Student huddle areas will be consistent throughout the building for social and informal gatherings, as well as for student collaboration. There will be 37 instructional classes and a 350 seat auditorium. To promote Hamber’s sense of community, school memorabilia, such as awards and trophies will be relocated to the new school.

There will be a 69-space childcare facility on the top floor of the school with a separate entrance for children of four different age groups: infant, toddler, pre-schooler, and pre-school. The times of the daycare are set to not coincide with the students. According to the PDR, the childcare space took away physical space for education in the building, but not funding as it is paid for and operated by the City.

Overall, the new Hamber will have a majority of the features the current one does, but in a smaller and newer way, with a hope to carry the sense of community Hamber currently has.