Barriere Secondary School is about to get a bigger and better outdoor basketball court.
Principal Angela Stott said the school will smooth out and resurface the asphalt area used by students and the community to play basketball outdoors – thanks to a $10,000 Legacy Grant from SD73, money from anonymous donors and another $22,000 raised by the community.
The work is expected to double the size of the existing court, adding two courts and new hoops and painted lines.
“We know our town is Cougar crazy about basketball so we’re super appreciative of our anonymous donors who contributed to the cause,” Stott said, referring to the name of the school basketball team. “We just want basketball to flourish. We are really a basketball community.”
The school had a tough year, she said, as students were unable to compete in the Cougar Classic, in-town competition, or get the opportunity to go to the Okanagans or Provincials. Before school shut down last year, the senior boys had qualified for the provincials and did “very well,” she said.
Rhonda Kershaw, chair of the SD73 board said the school district looks forward to the successful completion of the project, which is among three awarded funds. Each Parent Advisory Council (PAC) and Family of Schools groups can apply each spring and fall for funding for playgrounds, recreational or social space, cultural enhancement projects or sustainability projects. The next application deadline is September 30,
“These grants are made possible through the success of the SD73 Business Company and the District’s strong fiscal management,” Kershaw said.
