Chase River Elementary students use the improved pathway created by Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools facility to help with school ground accessibility
New LED floodlights on John Barsby Secondary school property, and new outdoor classroom space at Bayview Elementary
By Mandy Moraes, NLPS staff
Students returning to class across Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools may notice a few changes on school grounds that are making spaces safer and more accessible.
These include new pathways, outdoor spaces, and better lighting. At Chase River Elementary, students now have new gravel pathways that will provide safer access to school grounds from both Extension Road and Cranberry Avenue.
These improvements were made in response to challenges students faced when walking and biking to school. Before, one entrance from a main road required going down a steep hill that often got muddy. The fencing and property layout meant students often had to walk along the main road longer before reaching school grounds.
Chase River Elementary principal, Alana Lavery, said the project has quickly become a favorite spot for students to sit with friends.
“I was out at long recess, and the kids said they really liked it. And there’s a nice little retaining wall where kids are sitting. It’s just created some spaces for kids to be, too,” she said.
Across the school district, other projects have tackled safety and accessibility in different ways.
At John Barsby Secondary, the district’s Facilities team installed eight new high-output LED floodlights to improve visibility during the darker fall and winter months. The lights line the path football players and staff use between the “Doghouse” locker room and the training grounds. The new lighting will make it easier to see and be seen in the early mornings and evenings.
At Bayview Elementary, a new outdoor learning space and garden gave the school a chance to make another area more accessible. The Facilities team combined two planned projects into one outdoor space and added a new asphalt pathway with help from the Accessibility Funding Grant. Now, the pathway lets more students and community members reach both the garden and the outdoor learning area.
The Bayview project also expands the outdoor space available to students by using recently acquired land next to the school property.
The NLPS Facilities and Capital Planning teams completed the projects over the spring and summer to make schools more accessible when students returned this fall.
Whether it’s a better route onto school grounds, a pathway everyone can use, or a little more light on a dark winter afternoon, these projects are expanding the number of safe and easier to access spaces across the district that students use every day.