The Purcell Collegiate School, which will be built on the site of the former Kimberley Golf Club, has a number of goals in mind as they head towards breaking ground.
One of them is to focus on accessibility and providing the opportunity to study at the school to everyone.
“Purcell Collegiate is seeking to become the first school in Canada to achieve LEED Gold status for sustainability and Rick Hansen Foundation Certified Gold status for accessibility,” said Duncan MacLeod from the Purcell Collegiate School.
A press release from the Rick Hansen Foundation describes Purcell Collegiate as a boarding school that will invite both Canadian and international students in Grades 7 – 12 to learn not just academic courses, but elective classes in sustainability, outdoor education, STEM, business and entrepreneurship, leadership, and fine arts. There will also be advanced coaching and training opportunities for student athletes.
MacLeod had worked previously with the International Program in School District 6, and one of the things he noted was the difficulty in finding programs for students with disabilities.
He says that providing options for these students was difficult, especially if they were to be residing in a homestay – the challenge arises to find a host family with an accessible home, and having contingencies if something was to fall through or not be the right fit.
Kimberley has a long history with Paralympic sports, especially alpine skiing, due to the lifelong work of Kimberley residents Jerry and Annie Johnston. Seeing Paralympic athletes training on the hills of the Kimberley Alpine Resort is a fairly common sight. Kimberley can also provide opportunities for disabled athletes in Nordic skiing, wheelchair curling and sledge hockey.
MacLeod was born and raised in Kimberley, and as such, accessibility features have always been a part of his experience. He remarked that the community itself was relatively ahead of the curve on accessibility inputs, such as graded curbs. To him, being accessible is part of what makes a community welcoming and open. Something he brought to the initial discussions for PCS.
When the time came to select architects for the collegiate, George Berry, architect and CEO of Berry Architecture and Associates was hired. Accessibility has been a part of Berry’s firm’s mandate for 23 years.
“The team at Berry Architecture and Associates has been incredibly supportive and collaborative in assisting our development team in pursuing these targets and weaving them into a pioneering design that also manifests significant inputs indicative of the school’s inclusivity, international, and Indigenous attributes and amenities,” MacLeod said.
The team reached out to the Rick Hansen Foundation. MacLeod said that working with RHF was the missing piece of the puzzle and really helped expand what was possible in terms of accessibility.
“Working with RHF has been very educational. They helped us push our accessibility knowledge over the line,” Berry said.
Some of the accessibility features integrated into the design of the school include hallways wide enough for students with wheelchairs, accessible suites in the boarding houses, wayfinding, including braille in both English and Ktunaxa language, hearing loops for enhanced communication on the entire campus, and accessible outdoor learning spaces. A green roof area of the school will also be accessible to those with mobility challenges.
Berry explained that a lot of research over the years has gone into finding very specialized equipment to aid in accessibility. For example, many individuals with mobility disabilities can find getting in and out of chairs difficult, something Berry’s father found challenging, so the team sourced classroom chairs designed with handles for those who need the support.
The team behind PCS wants it to be a “completely enabling environment for everybody” and MacLeod said that it is one of the most important, affirming and uplifting parts of the entire project. In addition to ensuring the school is accessible to all students, staff and visitors, they are also targeting LEED® Gold for sustainability and learning experiences will be guided and facilitated by the ʔaq̓am Community of the Ktunaxa Nation.
MacLeod said fostering an educational opportunity like PCS has been rewarding and inspiring for him. Between his experience growing up in Kimberley and his career in international education, creating a school “that is going to be able to say “yes” when a student with a disability inquires about coming to Canada to study” supports the realization of PCS as a lighthouse project that is accessible, inclusive, and empowering.
READ: Purcell Collegiate Incorporated hosts open house
READ: Ktunaxa flag raised at Purcell International Education in Kimberley
carolyn.grant@kimberleybulletin.com
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