An Aldergrove company has been selected to build 133 modular classrooms for 101 schools in B.C.

The announcement was made Friday that Shelter Industries Inc. was selected to work with the Ministry of Education to construct the new classrooms that will be used to implement full-day kindergartens across the province.

According to the ministry, The new modular classrooms will be designed to meet sustainable construction standards.

These classrooms will incorporate energy-efficient heating and cooling systems and will be built with high-performance building envelopes to minimize operating costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

While enrolment has declined by about 60,000 students province wide since 2000-01, the implementation of full-day kindergarten will require more space than is presently available in some neighbourhoods.

These classrooms are part of a $144.5-million plan which includes: school additions, renovations, modular classrooms, new school space and approximately $10 million to furnish and equip classrooms, including the conversion of existing space, to support full-day kindergarten.

Full-day kindergarten is being implemented in two phases, with more than half of the province’s youngest learners entering full-day kindergarten this year, and full-day kindergarten available to an estimated 40,000 learners by 2011.

While Shelter has been named as the preferred proponent in this project, the next stage in the process is for the ministry to conclude negotiations – a process that is expected to culminate in a project agreement in early October, the ministry release stated.

“Details about the agreement will be made public after it has been finalized.”

Earlier this year, Shelter was awarded a $1.2-million federal defence contract to build temporary mental health facilities at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt.