The anglophone community in the Quebec City region is getting a brand new elementary school.
It was announced during a larger announcement on Thursday that the government is investing $965 million into school infrastructure.
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Education Minister Sébastien Proulx said the government has freed up more than $200 million more than they were able to last year to renovate schools across Quebec — and in some cases build brand new schools.
“We can’t do everything,” he said, admitting the government had to turn down projects because they didn’t have enough funds available.
Those projects that will go ahead, are not finalized yet, but the Central Quebec School Board says they will soon start construction on a new elementary school in Levis.
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Currently, about 300 students from the south shore of Quebec City come to Saint-Vincent School to go to school in English.
“We’re going to save 50 minutes a day for all these kids on the bus, so 25 minutes to go, 25 minutes to come back home,” said Stephen Burke, chairperson for the Central Quebec School Board.
This new money also allows the board to start work on the first phase of what they say will be a historic project for English education in the capital city.
The anglophone community wants to join the two existing Quebec City English high schools into one state-of-the-art 21st-century institution.
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“We’d like to have something where we can have events, and not have to go out of the school, like the French schools have — they have auditoriums. We also want sports infrastructures. We want parking! If you go see a hockey game at St. Pat’s, you’re going to have to pay for parking,” Burke said.
Burke said no matter what the results are after the Oct. 1 election, he’s confident a new government will move forward with this project. He said the anglophone community is committed to this new, modern high school and they will push for it until it gets built.