New report details 'concerning' structural damage at Elizabeth Ziegler Public School
CBC
A crumbling façade is just the beginning of several major structural issues plaguing Elizabeth Zielger Public School (EZPS) in Waterloo, according to a long-awaited engineering report released Wednesday.
The report, first mentioned at a community meeting in March, was ordered by the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) after bricks fell from the outside walls of EZPS, forcing a closure that at first lasted just two days, then two weeks, and now the remainder of this school year and next.
But according to the report, engineers have discovered additional issues with the building, including steel-beamed headers, floor and roof joists that are moderately to severely corroded, posing "safety concerns to any occupants inside or around the building."
The report continues by saying "repairing the deteriorated structural members is a critical step to reinstating occupancy for the school."
The board says they plan to repair the school by installing a new steel frame on the interior, with new foundations to support it. Once that has been completed, repairs to the façade can begin.
Bill Lemon is the associate director of business services at WRDSB. He told CBC News the report is encouraging, mapping out "a way forward to restore the school and regain occupancy for the staff and students."
"What I'm excited about is the proposed steel frame that's going to be incorporated into the building," said Lemon, adding that it "will allow us to use that building for a much longer period of time."
But before work can begin, a design report for the restoration and repair of EZPS needs to be presented for approval to the City of Waterloo Municipal Heritage Committee.
"We're hoping that we can have that sooner rather than later because that is an important step in this process for us to make sure that our proposed design meets with their expectations," said Lemon.
Funding the repairs and restorations is also a concern.
"It would be a capital project and we would be drawing on whole number of fiscal resources," said Lemon.
"For the potential size of a project such as this, we would need to engage the ministry [of education] and make them aware," he said.
Lemon said that "as it is right now … with some support, we would be able to manage that within our own resource envelope."
A full cost of the project is not yet available.
Margaret Walker, the emcee of a Waterloo vigil commemorating the victims of the Montreal massacre, doesn't feel enough is being done to reflect on the killings and address gender-based violence.
The P.E.I. Humane Society says it is doing far more fundraising than it used to, and rising expenses — including the cost of animal medications — are a big reason why.
Ottawa is staring down a court-ordered deadline to submit a new plan to reform the on-reserve child welfare system, as a group of First Nations leaders and children’s advocates prepare a competing proposal.
An underpass revitalization project that was meant to pay tribute to the people of Parkdale has instead deteriorated into “a garbage dump,” according to nearby residents.
A young man has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm after a fire at a frat party near Western University that injured five sorority sisters, including two seriously, late Tuesday night.
The massive deal to combine one of Hollywood's oldest studios with a streaming giant hasn't even been approved yet, but it's already riling multiple related industries and politicians concerned about monopolies and media concentration.
Mi'kmaq chiefs and a former Nova Scotia justice minister are criticizing the provincial government for directing police to crack down on illegal cannabis, saying the order undermines relations with Indigenous Peoples.
For years, there has been “glaring inequity” in the way the province has allocated the millions of dollars in its county roads budget, according to Department of Transportation Minister Chuck Chiasson.
Six months after passing a law aimed at making it easier for new grocery stores to open, Manitoba's premier says lower grocery bills could be on the horizon.
Timothy Smith was acting in self-defence when he punched Landon Waddell, and shouldn't be found guilty of manslaughter, his lawyer says.
Thoroughbred horse racing at Vancouver’s Hastings Racecourse is ending after more than a century, with the operator announcing Friday it will no longer run a racing season at the historic facility.
A memorial to remember lives lost to gender-based violence was held in Charlottetown Friday, ahead of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, which is marked annually on Dec. 6.
A Calgary dentist who defrauded five insurance companies over a decade should spend up to three years in prison, the prosecution argued Friday.