REGINA - A new francophone elementary school is officially under construction in northwest Regina.
A shovels-to-the-ground ceremony took place at the location at 5382 2nd Ave North in Regina, with the build by Quorex Construction already started behind the dignitaries in attendance.
The new school is to be an estimated 3,547 square metres and hold up to 325 students. It will also hold 38 child care centre spaces relocated from Ecole du parc, plus an additional 13 spaces for a total of 51.
The Regina school is expected to open in January 2025. It is one of three new francophone schools coming to the province, with schools in Saskatoon and Prince Albert in predesign phase.
The province has committed to a six-year capital plan with Conseil scolaire fransaskois to build the three francophone schools. The provincial investment for the north Regina school is $23.5 million while the Government of Canada is contributing $3.9 million to include 800 square metres of community cultural and event space.
“The Fransaskois community in Saskatchewan has identified the need for capital reinvestment in their schools,” Education Minister Dustin Duncan said. He said they had been working with the fransaskois community, with CEF (Conseil des ecoles fransaskoises) and the different parent councils around the province to see the projects come to fruition.
“Obviously, there will be more to do after that, but these certainly were the highest priorities and we’re pleased to move these forward.”
Claude-Jean Harel of CEF said the site in northwest Regina will be beneficial for the many francophone families located in the north end of the city, who previously had to send their kids on long bus rides south. He said it was important to keep the Francophone culture alive in Saskatchewan.
“It’s who we are as a society. Canada is made up of many nations, many cultures, many societies, French, and English,” he said. “My daughters went to school in French here… That’s what this means to us, is that we can live in our language in this province. And wherever I go, and Saskatchewan, I’ve travelled everywhere, I meet people who speak French. We don’t see them as often but they’re there. They’re not as numerous as they might be in other community, but they’re alive and well and thriving and living and contributing to communities everywhere in our province, whether in urban areas or rural areas. We’re all in this together.”
