Construction work is continuing on the new gym at Summerland Secondary School.
Work began in June and is expected to conclude by the late fall of 2024, said Todd Manuel, superintendent of schools for the Okanagan Skaha School District.
“We are certainly excited about the project,” he said.
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While the construction is progressing, the school is continuing to use its existing gym. The bleachers have been removed and a temporary interior wall has been set up. Some of the classrooms at the school have been converted to changing rooms for gym classes and sports events.
Once the new gym is completed, it will replace the existing gym, which was constructed in 1951. The present gym is not large enough for regulation sports courts.
In 2020, the Okanagan Skaha School District committed $10.5 million for the gym replacement. Construction work was scheduled to begin in the fall of 2021, but because of issues identified through preliminary work, the project was delayed.
Manuel said the project is on budget at present, even though costs have increased since 2020. Once it is completed, it will be similar to other regular high school gyms in the province.
Alan Stel, principal of Summerland Secondary School, said the school is considering fundraising initiatives in the new year to purchase additional items for the new gym.
The existing high school gym will remain once the new gym has been completed. The older gym will be used as a space for physical health education, Manuel said.