The estimated finish date for the new Humboldt Collegiate Institute (HCI) may be for the end of October, but Keith Thompson, the school's principal, says the move won't happen overnight.
"There are some prospective dates in place," said Thompson, "but really, we won't know until the building is completed."
Thompson says they are looking to move in mid- to late November, with a tentative "hopeful" date of November 21 for the opening day of school in the new facility.
Once the school building is finished, it needs to pass tests to qualify for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. LEED certification is based on a rating system devised by the U.S. Green Building Council to evaluate the environmental performance of a building.
Don Lloyd, superintendent of the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Division (GCSC) explained that this involves checking all heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, which could take anywhere up to 15 days.
"We need to run all systems at full capacity for a certain number of days to make sure everything meets all the requirements for the LEED certification," said Lloyd.
Elsewhere, work on the site appears to be moving along according to schedule. The new, multi-purpose lobby was in operation for the Humboldt Broncos hockey game on Wednesday, September 21. The new reception area also serves the Leisure Services programs, provides access to the Aquatic Centre, and will connect to the new high school.
The 17th Ave. entrance to the Uniplex is nearing completion. The driveway has been redesigned to allow access to the high school as well as to the other facilities, but has yet to be paved.
The long-awaited new building for HCI has been a dream looming on the horizon for Thompson. When asked if he thought a move before Christmas was a realistic time frame, Thompson replied with a laugh "knock on wood!"
