Award

December 2013

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e Attawapiskat Elementary School T Attawapiskat Elementary School p88-91Queeny_NVan Civic_Atta.indd 91 Location James Bay, Ontario Owner/Developer by Angela Altass he children of Attawapiskat First Nation, located near James Bay in Ontario, will soon be attending classes in a new elementary school. For just over a decade, approximately 500 children in the Attawapiskat community have been educated in portable classrooms after their former school was closed due to concerns about a diesel fuel leak. These children now look forward to receiving education in the comfort of a brand new school. A school capital planning study, which was initially completed in 2007, recommended the construction of a new elementary school for the community. The study was updated in June 2011, examining future student enrollment facility requirements and design options. Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada approved the $31-million project to proceed to the design phase in July 2011, says Phil Cesario, project manager with P.M. Associates Ltd. "There has been a long and difficult history at the community level that has finally resulted in this project moving forward," says Cesario. "For me to be able to assist the First Nations in realizing this dream of a new school has been a privilege and honour. Personally, managing new school projects is the most enjoyable type of capital project, and renderings courtesy P.M. Associates Ltd. Attawapiskat First Nation this one has been no exception." The school building will be 5,808 square metres and includes 16 regular classrooms, five nursery/kindergarten classrooms, three special education classrooms, a Cree culture classroom, Cree language classroom, gymnasium, cafeteria, computer rooms, a science/ art classroom, music room, home economics area, industrial arts area, health room, library, administration spaces, staff rooms, storage areas and mechanical, electrical and janitorial areas. The school site is approximately six acres and includes parking, playgrounds and athletic fields. Building the new school on a remote site in the Canadian North created a set of problems for the construction team but Dan Bickerton, project manager at Penn-Co Construction, says that they were up for the challenge. "PennCo Construction has worked in many locations in the Canadian North so we were well equipped to handle whatever issues and challenges came our way," says Bickerton. "The project did have many challenges, most having to do with how the community is accessed. Materials needed to be shipped to Cochrane, Ontario, off-loaded, loaded onto a train that goes to Moosonee, offloaded, then loaded onto a barge or an awaiting truck that goes on an ice road to Attawapiskat. As you can imagine, logistically lining this process up for such a large structure was challenging." The remoteness of the project and having to rely on the short winter road season and barge in the summer have been the biggest challenges, says Cesario, who applauds the involvement of the community. "The fantastic support and cooperation by the community leadership, including the chief and council, First Nation administration and technical staff, as well as the local education authority, have made dealing with project issues very easy," says Cesario. "The support has made being involved in this project even more satisfying." Bickerton also acknowledges the support of the community towards the project. "The community has welcomed our group and has provided many skilled people to join in on the construction of the school, which will be a huge sense of pride, not only to those who helped create the facility, but also to those who will be educated and enjoy the community benefits of such a building," says Bickerton. The entire footprint of the building is built on rigid styrofoam, which is a process that Penn-Co Construction has never used before. "That was an interesting concept to be part of," notes Bickerton. The new building will also be used Project Manager P.M. Associates Ltd. Architect PBK Architects / Genivar General Contractor Penn-Co Construction Structural/Mechanical/ Electrical Consultant Genivar Total Area 5,808 square metres Total Cost $31 million for community events and as a flood evacuation point, which meant that the building needed to be elevated approximately eight feet above grade in unstable soil conditions. GeoSpec expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam was used as a structural lightweight fill material to reduce the load on underlying soil, minimize settlement and stabilize the building's foundation. The general contractor has been asked continually to maximize the use of local resources, including labour, equipment, accommodations and materials, says Cesario. As of October, raising of the site elevation and installation of a concrete main floor slab, as well as the erection of a gymnasium pre-engineered building structure had been completed. Screening of the required granular materials and mobilizing most of the materials required for construction had also been completed and the general contractor was in the process of erecting the steel structure and Glulam beam, as well as installing masonry walls. Construction of the Attawapiskat Elementary School has an anticipated completion date of June 2014, in time for the start of the school year in September 2014. When completed, the school will accommodate 540 students from kindergarten to grade eight. n december 2013    /91 13-11-21 3:50 PM

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