March 14, 2025 Update on Carihi Secondary Fire Recovery

We wanted to share an update on the next steps in the recovery process following the fire at Carihi Secondary.

The school district is waiting on permit approval from the City of Campbell River. Once we receive it, demolition of A-wing — including the teaching kitchen, band room, storage rooms, and hallway — will begin. This work could start as early as over spring break and might even be completed before students return on April 1.

A positive development is that our maintenance team, in collaboration with a structural engineer, has developed a plan that allows the gym, mezzanine, drama room, and lower classrooms to be repaired rather than demolished and rebuilt. This means these spaces will remain much the same as they were before the fire.

And another big step forward is that B-wing classrooms and the multi-purpose room will be reopening after spring break. Carihi students will no longer need to travel to Oyster River as a satellite location. The majority of students will now be back at Carihi full-time.

We appreciate everyone's patience and support as we move forward in restoring and rebuilding Carihi. We will continue to provide updates as the work progresses.