Ventana wins $176M design-build contract for B.C. school

Key Takeaways:

• Ventana Construction Corporation and Thinkspace Architecture Planning Interior Design Ltd. have been selected to design and build a new Mission Senior Secondary School, funded mostly by the Province of B.C.
• The new four-storey school will serve 1,500 students (expandable to 1,650) and include Indigenous cultural space, childcare, a Neighbourhood Learning Centre, outdoor classrooms and new sports facilities.
• Construction is expected to start in early 2026. The existing school will stay open during construction and will be demolished after students move into the new building.

The Whole Story:

Ventana Construction Corporation and Thinkspace Architecture Planning Interior Design Ltd. have been selected to design and build a new Mission Senior Secondary School in Mission, B.C., a project valued at $176 million.

The team was announced as the preferred proponent on Oct. 21, 2025, following a competitive procurement process led by Infrastructure BC. Technical proposals were submitted in May 2025 and financial submissions in July 2025. The contract is now executed and the project is moving ahead.

The province first announced plans to replace the aging Mission Senior Secondary in April 2024. Ventana and Thinkspace responded to a request for qualifications in October 2024 and were shortlisted for a request for proposals in December 2024. The firms then advanced a full bid with a consultant group that includes RWDI (acoustics), Pontem (code compliance), RJC Engineers (structural and envelope), Introba (mechanical and energy modelling), AES (electrical), Aplin Martin (civil), ETA (landscape) and Geopacific (geotechnical).

“Thinkspace and Ventana started working together on this project back in August of 2024, and through a lot of hard work, we’ve been selected to deliver this very important new school facility,” said Lee Blanchard, a principal at Thinkspace and the firm’s K-12 lead. “The design this team has submitted is exceptional in every respect… We’re eager to finish the design work and start construction,” he said.

The new four-storey, 14,805-square-metre high school will be built on the existing site, about 75 kilometres east of Vancouver. It is designed for 1,500 students with an option to expand by 250 seats to meet future enrolment growth in the district.

Ventana, a Burnaby-based contractor that focuses on large institutional, civic and commercial projects, will act as the design-builder.

The Mission Senior Secondary replacement is funded with $175 million from the Province of British Columbia and $1 million from Mission Public School District. The new facility is intended to address capacity pressures and modernize an aging school while keeping students on site through construction.

The design includes several program elements beyond traditional classroom space. Those include:

• A Halq’eméylem language and cultural centre
• Indigenous education and gathering spaces, with Indigenous language and local culture incorporated throughout the building
• A Neighbourhood Learning Centre that will house childcare, meeting rooms, a community kitchen and other shared-use space
• Outdoor classrooms and student gathering areas
• New sports and recreation amenities, including tennis courts, basketball courts, a multi-purpose field and a practice field

The project is also being positioned as a low-carbon, durable build. The design is expected to incorporate greenhouse-gas reduction measures, energy modelling strategies and low-maintenance materials.

School District No. 75 asked proponents to deliver a large, modern secondary school with complex program requirements in an established residential area. According to the project team, that drove a “solution-oriented” approach intended to balance neighbourhood fit, long-term function and growth.

Mission Senior Secondary will be delivered in three phases. Phase 1 is construction of the new school. Phase 2 is demolition of the existing building once students move out. Phase 3 is final site work, including playfields, courts and parking.

The current school will remain open while the new building is constructed. The district says students are expected to begin attending the new facility for the 2028-29 school year, with substantial completion of remaining site work targeted for 2029.

Design work is scheduled to wrap up in fall 2026, with construction to begin shortly after.