No location yet for new joint-use school in Harbour Landing

All kinds of ministers, board members and school delegates gathered in the park behind St. Kateri School in Harbour Landing on Wednesday afternoon — properly distanced — to celebrate work continuing on a new joint-use elementary school coming to the neighbourhood.

The Ecole Harbour Landing/St. Kateri joint-use school opened about three years ago but was almost immediately over capacity.

The school boards submitted requests last year for more capital funding for more schools in Harbour Landing, and last year the current Harbour Landing school announced it was moving the French immersion program to make room for students.

In March, the provincial government announced the new schools for the southwest Regina neighbourhood were given the green light.

While the design phase for the school is set to start right away, there still isn’t a location set for the building.

Education Minister Gord Wyant said the province is having conversations with the City of Regina and the planning for the school will be done in concert with the city’s development plans.

“We’ll have those ongoing conversations in terms of land use but, certainly, the school is going to be built in this area to help alleviate the challenges and the pressures on the existing schools,” said Wyant.

Wyant said planning for a new school usually takes about eight months to a year — he hopes to have shovels in the ground next year. He said the school will be developed as conversations happen about where it will be built.

Wyant pointed out other schools have been built in similar circumstances, pointing to Saskatoon.

As speakers took to the podium Wednesday, they gave thanks to all those who played a part in getting the plans up and running and they spoke about the need for the school.

“When we built this wonderful new school (Ecole Harbour Landing), who would have imagined the growth in this area of the city would require another school so soon?” said Katherine Gagne, board chair for Regina Public Schools.

“It is so desperately needed to meet the significant growth of this area and the needs of our students,” said Vicky Bonnell, vice-chair of the Regina Catholic School Board.

Election campaign

There have been a few similar events in recent weeks across the province, with announcements for new schools which were already announced in the March budget.

The premier has attended those events, but when asked Wednesday, Scott Moe rejected the idea that he’s using them as campaign stops.

Moe said when the election campaign starts, there will be discussions about what the parties put forward.

“You’ll see parties speaking to their records. You will see some parties that will be running on their records, and you will see some parties that will be running from their records and, quite frankly, this is a party that will be running on our record, and our record includes investment in communities and investment in schools,” said Moe.

Moe was also asked whether he’s going to drop the writ for the election next week, but all he would say is that the election will happen Oct. 26.