Camosun struggles with deferred maintenance

According to the Times Colonist, Camosun College needs upwards of $100 million to catch up on deferred maintenance and to fix aging buildings, update classrooms, and replace windows, elevators, plumbing and fire alarm systems. Peter Lockie, Camosun’s CFO, stated that the problems began building up over 4 years ago, when the BC government cut the school’s maintenance budget by 75%. Camosun is expecting $1.7 million from the government this year for maintenance, but that is only a small portion of what is needed to bring the school up to an “acceptable standard.” Lockie recently told the board of governors that the maintenance issues “are threatening the quality of our services essentially, and the quality of our environment for learning and teaching.” A spokesperson for the government said that “when the funding becomes available it will be expended on a priority basis across BC.” Simon Fraser University is also struggling with deferred maintenance issues, with some staff and students reporting health problems due to mold or bad air. Times Colonist