From June 2023 through July 2024, a vibrant community engagement process for the Pemberton Woods (PW) Campus Renewal offered students, faculty, staff, parents, neighbours and the broader community, an opportunity to actively contribute to help shape the long-term future of GNS. Through collaborative meetings and dialogue, the PW Renewal Team gathered input, feedback and ideas to guide planning for the modernization of the school’s infrastructure and resources. This process encouraged community involvement, fostered connections and explored the role of contemporary schools in the neighbourhood setting. The engagement process culminated with a formal presentation to the Fairfield Gonzales Community Association Land Use Committees (CALUC) on May 27, after which the proposed campus plan was further modified based on input and comments received. GNS submitted a rezoning application to the City of Victoria on August 1st. The school will continue to keep our communities - both internal and external - engaged through quarterly updates on the PW Renewal website, via email (engage@pwrenewal.ca) and in-person meetings as appropriate.

The PW Renewal community engagement process was facilitated by a collaborative team consisting of GNS staff, architects, landscape architects and urban designers, traffic consultants, civil engineers and a third-party facilitator. Collectively, this team ensured that the meetings were organised, inclusive and provided a platform for open dialogue and meaningful interaction. There will be further opportunities for community engagement as we navigate the City process following our rezoning application submission on August 1, 2024. Please watch for updates on our project website or subscribe to receive update notifications about the status of the rezoning application.

The PW Renewal community engagement process is intended to be ongoing and inclusive. GNS understands that meaningful engagement takes time and requires open communication channels. From June 2023 through July 2024, a number of workshops and many feedback sessions were undertaken with the collective community to develop a proposed campus design for Pemberton Woods. GNS remains committed to fostering continuous dialogue, maintaining transparency and continuing to provide quarterly updates as things move along the City process. This will ensure that the collective community is informed at every stage.

While the bulk of the active community engagement process related to the proposed campus design is complete, we welcome your ongoing comments and feedback. Following our submission to the City of Victoria on August 1, 2024, we will continue to keep our communities - both internal and external - engaged through quarterly updates on the PW Renewal website, emails, and in-person meetings, as appropriate. Our goal of shaping the future of the Middle and Senior school campus and fostering a vibrant and inclusive learning environment that benefits the entire community remains the same. Your voice continues to matter, and you are welcome to reach out via email at engage@pwrenewal.ca.

In June of 2023, GNS began a collaborative community engagement process to create a campus plan for modernising its infrastructure and resources for Pemberton Woods - home to its Middle and Senior schools. The process took just over a year and included many meetings, that ultimately resulted in a proposed campus plan. The plan includes a rezoning application to the City of Victoria for review and consideration. An inclusive design journey from the start, students, faculty, staff, parents, neighbours and the broader community were offered the opportunity to actively contribute to shaping the future of the school. Together, we created a proposed campus design representing an inclusive and vibrant environment that reflects the aspirations of our community, fostering meaningful connections and enhancing the City as a whole.

The focus of the PW Renewal is to establish the long-term needs and plans of GNS, as outlined in the Gonzales Neighbourhood Community Plan (adopted by Victoria City Council on March 14, 2002). The plan aims to modernize the infrastructure and resources at the school, addressing long-term facilities upgrades, and to ensure students have access to inclusive learning spaces and the latest resources and technologies. Overall, the intent is to create a healthy, vibrant, well-loved and enduring campus that drives community connection and enriches life in our city. Following just over a year of community engagement and collaboration, we feel these goals are achievable through the proposed campus plan that was submitted as part of a rezoning application to the City of Victoria on August 1, 2024.

A significant priority of the PW Renewal and the proposed campus design is to address traffic and parking concerns. Below outlines actions the school has taken and possible actions for consideration regarding the busing, traffic circulation and parking issues surrounding the school. Actions Taken: 1. September 2020: Senior School pick-up/drop-off (PUDO) was relocated to Richmond Avenue, away from Maddison Street. This move affected over 300 students, which represents approximately 60% of the previous volume using Maddison. This change has significantly reduced traffic volume on Maddison. 2. January 2022: Co-curricular busing was also moved from Maddison Street to Richmond Avenue, further contributing to the reduction in traffic congestion and parking challenges on Maddison Street, particularly during school hours. 3. Throughout 2022/2023 and 2023/2024: With active promotion of school bus ridership, currently 20% of students at the Pemberton Woods campus student body use this service. This initiative has effectively reduced the number of cars on both Maddison Street and Richmond Avenue during PUDO times. 4. September 2024: Morning bus PUDO was moved from Maddison Street to Richmond Avenue, and bus routes were updated to prioritize the use of collector routes as much as possible: a) Gordon Head and the SMUS Junior/Boarder buses will travel to the GNS Pemberton Woods campus from McNeill as follows: turn left at Foul Bay, right on Gonzales, left on Richardson, right on Richmond to school bus drop-offs. b) Leaving GNS PW from Richmond as follows: right on Quamichan, right on Cowichan, left on Richardson. As well as: staff on Bus Duty on Maddison Street and Richmond Avenue will wear safety vests to enhance visibility and safety during school traffic hours. pylons in bus lay-bys on Maddison Street and Richmond Avenue when bus PUDO is active to prevent unauthorized parking or waiting cars, thereby improving traffic flow and safety. given speed is a concern in all school zones, we have been in contact with the City Engineering & Public Works Department to request a School Zone road decal to be installed on Richmond Avenue ASAP. In addition, we are keen to welcome electronic Speed Reader Boards. we discourage parents, as often as possible, from waiting in their cars to pick up their children after school in Resident Parking Only areas around the perimeter of the school - in particular on Maddison Street. We consistently encourage use of our designated parking lots instead. we continue to educate the GNS school community about alternative transportation options and the benefits of reducing personal vehicle use. Considerations for Future Action: GNS brought forward the following ideas to take into consideration: Awards for kids and staff using alternative transportation methods: draft plan to socialize with a working group before winter break. Bike bus: meet with staff and faculty who are bike enthusiasts to discuss possibilities and ideas built off of Alternative Transport Week (this takes place at the Junior School campus already). Promote the City of Victoria Youth U-Pass program which offers a free bus pass to youth residents (any students aged 12-18) within the City of Victoria boundaries. Work with Fairfield Gonzales Community Association to support and encourage new bus routes along Richmond for easier and more direct access to GNS. Collaborate with local authorities to enhance signage and traffic management strategies around school zones.

We understand that pick up, drop off, circulation and parking continue to be concerning for the neighbourhood, and we appreciate all those who took part in the campus planning design process to provide input in an effort to address these issues effectively. Including valuable input, our design team worked collaboratively with the community to develop solutions that will improve long term traffic flow, implement effective traffic calming measures, and enhance parking infrastructure. To ensure the proposed plan meets both the needs of the school and the community, we undertook several key steps: 1. Traffic Consultant: Conducted a comprehensive assessment including existing conditions, traffic impact and a site plan review. The assessment was completed in the fall of 2023 and was crucial to understanding the current and projected traffic volumes and patterns, especially considering the changes in the local traffic landscape since the 2019-2020 data collection. 2. Enhanced Infrastructure: Based on the feedback and assessments, the proposed infrastructure improvements include: - an underground parkade to minimize the visual impact and footprint of parking - A re-designed pick-up and drop-off loop to streamline traffic flow and reduce congestion on surrounding streets - Elimination of access to the PW campus off of Maddison and Laurentian - Integration of traffic calming measures to ensure safe and efficient movement within the campus and the neighbourhood

The evolving nature and needs of many of our programs, including science, technology, arts and athletics, require a contemporary environment for students to thrive and for GNS to remain competitive. Having said that, a large number of the buildings at the Pemberton Woods campus are at an age where they are either in need of upgrades or replacing, this includes seismic considerations and/or outdated or inefficient operating systems. It’s not always possible to upgrade existing buildings and facilities to the standard expected of a modern-day school, and in many cases, new construction allows for more predictable planning, with design and building from the ground up according to the latest standards potentially resulting in lower costs and a shorter project duration. These are pertinent factors in the school's decision to build and not renovate.

The Pemberton Woods Campus student population has been relatively consistent since the 1990s, with fluctuating enrollment in some grades, similar to most schools. Historically, the population has been as high as 555 students. As noted in the functional program summary, we have identified our long-term maximum at 650 students. This is not something that will happen overnight and we recognize that our size needs to keep in mind our character as a school, as well as the character of the neighbourhood. Realistically, this would be slow annual growth over a long period of time. GNS will never be a large school, nor do we want to become one. What is more important to us is to provide quality education to students primarily from the local community, while maintaining our commitment to small class sizes and personalised attention. We aspire to strike a balance between any update to preserving the close-knit and supportive community that defines our city, neighbourhood and school.

As part of the Pemberton Woods Campus Renewal, the school undertook a comprehensive evaluation of all campus buildings. While Denford Hall will be preserved, over the coming years, the renewal process aims to update and modernise the entire campus. This assessment allows for a holistic approach to ensure that all buildings meet the evolving needs of the school and community, creating an improved and cohesive campus environment.

Yes, GNS is proposing to include the adjacent properties we own in the renewal plans for the Pemberton Woods Campus. This was realised during our community engagement meetings and discussions about the school's long-term needs and community integration. Our informed decision aligns with both the school's future requirements and the broader needs of the Gonzales neighbourhood. Through discussions with the community, we concluded that for the best campus design outcome, the use of these properties would enable us to incorporate more meaningful solutions to effectively address traffic and parking challenges, while also maintaining the character of both the campus and the neighbourhood.

The campus renewal journey - from proposed design, through the City approval process to the potential start of construction - is a comprehensive and thorough journey, potentially spanning several years. The significant active engagement phase with the community is winding down after ensuring that the design aligns as best as possible with the evolving needs of the school and the changing dynamics of the neighbourhood. After the school's Application for Rezoning is submitted, the process will involve discussions, plan updates then approvals with the City of Victoria. This process can also take a considerable amount of time. Only if and when these milestones are completed will the construction phase begin. The duration of this process is a reflection of our commitment to crafting a renewal plan that truly serves the community's aspirations and contributes to the long-term sustainability of the campus and its surroundings.

It is too early in the process to determine a construction timeline. We are focusing on working with the faculty, staff, neighbours and the broader community to create a high level urban design. Once we have a design for the school renewal, we will work on our application with the City of Victoria, which is likely to be a multi-year process. Regular updates to the community will be provided throughout this process.

Completing all the buildings within the renewal plan is a thorough and careful endeavour. With a proposed blueprint that best aligns with the school's long-term needs and the neighbourhood's aspirations, we submitted a rezoning application to the City of Victoria on August 1, 2024. We will now be working through the City approval process, which could take up to two years. A phased approach to construction would follow a successful approval. We remain committed to actively involving the collective community and providing transparent updates about the evolving timeline and progress.

Ensuring a harmonious construction process for our students, faculty, staff and neighbours, is a paramount consideration. We are fully aware that each phase of work within our renewal plan may differ in scale. However, regardless of the scope of the phase, our commitment remains steadfast to minimising any impact on both the school and the broader community. We will diligently devise mitigation strategies tailored to the unique characteristics of each phase, taking into account factors such as construction size, duration, and potential disruptions. By prioritising effective mitigation, we aim to create an environment that upholds the well-being of both the school and our valued neighbours.

The long-term space needs of the school were determined based on a variety of factors including educational requirements, programs, and facilities that contribute to a comprehensive learning experience. Our goal is to align with the standards set by organisations such as CAIS (Canadian Accredited Independent Schools) and achieve an average space of approximately 20 m² per student over time. This includes various internal spaces that support learning, collaboration, and recreation, with a focus on creating a well-rounded and vibrant educational environment.