An artist’s rendering shows the new state-of-the-art school to be built in Oliver to accommodate all elementary school students in District 53. Part of its $2 billion price tag will be paid by closing down elementary schools in other communities. (Richard McGuire photo)
April 1: A new state-of-the-art elementary school will be built in Oliver, giving the town four elementary schools, Premier Christy Clark and School District 53 officials announced this morning.
The $2 billion building will be partially funded by closing other elementary schools across the district and busing children to the new edifice.
Designed in a neo-Mughal style, the new school will be built with marble and its walls will be decorated with inlaid semi-precious gems, hand cut by skilled artisans.
“We want our children to have the best education possible, and we believe this can only be accomplished by busing them to a centralized, state-of-the-art facility,” said one school trustee, who asked not to be identified because she feared a backlash in the community she represents, which will lose its only elementary school.
“This is the model we’ve followed with the high schools,” she said. “We thought it only right to introduce it for all age levels.”
Oliver has two elementary schools under SD 53 – Oliver Elementary and Tuc-el-Nuit Elementary, in addition to Sen’Pok’Chin School, run by the Osoyoos Indian Band.
Oliver town council recently announced it is considering rebranding the community as, “School and Wine Capital of Canada.”
Update: School District 53 subsequently issued a two-word news release correction: “April Fools.”
New gallery exhibition features Kelowna oil painter
Colleen Dyson
A new exhibition opens Saturday at the Osoyoos Art Gallery featuring the oil paintings of Kelowna painter Colleen Dyson.
An opening reception for Transitions in Light and Colour: My Journey is Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and you can meet the artist.
Dyson’s earlier work features florals, but over the past five years or so she has been working with landscapes. Her subject matter includes moored boats, mountains, rivers and old farm buildings. She’s also done landscapes from her travels in Costa Rica, which include people as part of the landscape.
The Osoyoos Art Gallery is located at 8713 Main Street. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
Enjoy the sunshine
Today’s forecast is 20 C and sunny. Winds will become south 20 km/h late this afternoon, according to Environment Canada.
Yesterday’s official recorded high was 23.1 C. That’s the highest recorded yet in 2016, but it’s still shy of the April 1 record of 25 C in 1992.
Saturday will see 21 C and increasing cloudiness and Sunday will reach similar temperatures with a mix of sun and cloud.
Enjoy the weekend. And that’s no joke.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
