Cedar Hill Middle School Seismic Replacement

The Greater Victoria School District celebrates the upgraded, seismically safe replacement building for Cedar Hill Middle School. Students’ first day inside the new building was Friday, September 5, 2025. The former school was built nearly 100 years ago and has an H-1 seismic ranking, the highest level of seismic vulnerability.

“The vision for the new school was a collaborative effort with input from students, families, community, staff, and our Indigenous partners through the Indigenous Education Department. As a school community, we’ve been honoured to carry elements of the old building into the new one, including Indigenous artwork, student artwork, stained glass, and the main office bench.” —Maryanne Trofimuk, Principal of Cedar Hill Middle School

The school was purposefully built to foster greater student engagement, collaboration, and connection to Indigenous Education and the Traditional Territories of the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. The new school features purpose-built and new-to-the-district spaces such as the Indigenous Welcome Centre and collaboration spaces that support a school culture of connection and community.

“It has been inspiring to see the collaboration between the school community, our facilities teams, and the many contractors who have supported the construction of the new school, resulting in a safer, more accessible, and a modern space to learn. I thank staff and families for their patience and flexibility during the transitionary period and for their excitement as they’ve had time to explore the new space and make it their own.” —Deb Whitten, Superintendent, Greater Victoria School District

The new school is also the greenest building in the School District, providing a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions versus a baseline school model. The school includes air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, a geothermal field, and solar panels (100kW photovoltaic system). As well, windows in each classroom provide natural daylight for health benefits and reduction in energy costs. Efficient heat pumps are also included to help reduce the school’s carbon footprint.

“I’ve been lucky enough to witness the school in its final stages of construction, after facilities teams and contractors have built the seismically safe structure from the ground up. Now, as students and staff have made the new school their home over the last couple of months, I have been truly impressed by how the school community has embraced the space and transformed it into a vibrant learning environment. I look forward to future updates on the project as the focus shifts to landscaping and outdoor spaces that lend well to the neighbourhood. ” —Sherri Bell, Official Trustee, Board of Education, Greater Victoria School District

Key Design Features in New School

  • Two-story building.
  • All 21 classrooms will include sinks, windows to provide natural light and fresh air, and technology packages.
  • There are six designated spaces for exploratories: art, drama, music, foods, textiles, and a skills and technology shop.
  • An Inclusive Education Hub will be centrally located on the ground floor with counselling offices, an English Language Learning Resource Room, a sensory room, and a braille room.
  • Open concept with breakout learning spaces to advance student collaboration.
  • A gymnasium with an all-gender change room and the option of a mezzanine are also included. There will be a Learning Commons (Library), with an Indigenous Welcome Space that has exterior access to connect with the outdoors.
  • The site plan includes two sports fields, a basketball court, outdoor gathering spaces, additional parking, an on-site pick-up/drop-off space, and a multi-use path along Cedar Hill Road with a raised curb and separated pedestrian and bike lanes for safety.
  • “Learning neighbourhoods”; groups of classrooms clustered around an open collaboration space to provide students with a smaller learning community within a larger building.
  • Net Zero Energy Ready by Design; the school will include air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, a geothermal field, and solar panels (100kW photovoltaic system).
  • Natural daylight for health benefits and reduction in energy costs.
  • Efficient heat pumps to help reduce the school’s carbon footprint.
  • Outdoor gathering and learning spaces to enhance land-based hands-on learning.
  • Indigenous culture and artwork are embodied in the design; the school will include a designated Indigenous Welcome Centre for students and families.
  • Stained glass, student artwork, and a wooden bench from the office will be preserved and featured in the new build.
  • Ramps and an elevator in a central location to improve accessibility.

Fast Facts

  • The new seismically safe school, serving 575 students, will be purposefully built to foster greater student engagement, collaboration and connection to Indigenous Education and the traditional territories of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.
  • This is the first middle school to be constructed in the School District since 2004.
  • The Province is providing $42.9 million for the seismic replacement school. The School District will contribute another $3.6 million for a project total of $46.5 million.

Project Timeline

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