• Children first walked through the doors of Durieu elementary on Sept. 7, 1982, but the school didn’t have an official grand opening until Dec. 14.• The new school boasted six classrooms, a library, a gym, and could accommodate 200 students. About 125 children were registered to attend the first year.• The school opened in time despite a province-wide construction lockout which affected mechanical contractors, but temporary portable washrooms had to be used.• Durieu was built to replace the aging McConnell Creek and Hatzic Prairie elementary schools.• The new school cost $947,415 to build. The five-acre property was purchased from Frank Kokoszka for $70,000 in September 1981, and the school district had to spend $20,000 to raise the property two feet to meet flood plain requirements.• The school’s playground was built in 1983 with help from Inmates in the Community work service program and Chilliwack Forest Camp.• To combat declining enrolment, Durieu switched to a traditional model in 2005.• School board trustees voted to close the school on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011.