SASKATOON – The sound of construction in some Saskatoon neighbourhoods will eventually turn into the sound of children laughing. Officials broke ground Friday morning on the 12 new elementary schools coming to Saskatoon, Martensville and Warman in two years.
The new schools are being built on joint-use sites as part of a public-private partnership.
Eight schools are opening in the Saskatoon neighbourhoods of Hampton Village, Evergreen, Rosewood and Stonebridge. The Warman schools will be built in the Traditions neighbourhood, and Martensville schools in Lake Vista.
“I live in this neighbourhood,” said Education Minister Don Morgan. “I’ve been out talking to people and they’re all excited about it.”
“They’re saying ‘I can’t believe it’s going to be done in two years’ and we said ‘wait and see.’ We’ve got contractors that are itching to get in the ground, so they’re going to be at it.”
READ MORE: Ambitious timeline for Willowgrove schools was a long shot
As part of a unique partnership between Saskatoon Public Schools, the province, federal government and Whitecap Dakota First Nation, Grade 5 to 8 students from the First Nation will attend the new Stonebridge school.
“Today marks an important milestone in our Education Partnership,” said Whitecap Dakota First Nation Chief Darcy Bear.
“Together with our neighbors in Stonebridge, the children and community of Whitecap Dakota First Nation are directly benefiting from the project and the support from SPS and both levels of government.”
A total of 18 new joint-use schools that can house over 11,000 students from pre-kindergarten to Grade 8 will be built throughout the province.
Each school will have a 90 space early learning centre along with community space.
Meaghan Craig contributed to this story
Comments