Construction beginning for Saskatchewan’s first Cree bilingual school

Children, parents, Elders and the community helped bless an empty lot on Seventh Street in Saskatoon on Monday.

That site is the future home of Saskatchewan’s first official Cree bilingual school.

St. Frances Cree Bilingual Elementary School is set to open a brand-new building there in two years. A projected 700 students will be enrolled in the school.

“It’s a joyous day,” said Diane Boyko, board chair of the Greater Catholic School Division.

“I think everybody’s hearts are full because we’ve worked for a long time to be able to ensure this opportunity for all of those students.”

St. Frances Cree is already a school in the city, but the new building will be the school’s permanent home. The change means the school will be able to take in more students, and will have more space to provide additional educational and share cultural teachings.

Mockup of Saskatchewan’s first Cree bilingual school in Saskatoon. (Halyna Mihalik/650 CKOM)

The three-storey building will include a performing space, steam lab, a space for Elders and potentially an outside arbour in the yard.

“Their culture and their identity will be celebrated,” said Boyko. “Within the building itself, there’s going to be that opportunity for all of them to be the best that they can be.”

Mark Arcand, chief of the Saskatoon Tribal Council, said he’s planning on sending his son to the school.

He said seeing the Catholic school board building a Cree bilingual school is a step forward on reconciliation.

“The gift of the child was taken away,” said Arcand, “but now we’re putting that back in through relationships, through partnerships and through hard work and understanding what it means to be equal.”

Arcand said he wished Cree bilingual education was available when he was a child.

“I just kind of gave up. I lost my language,” said Arcand. “We never had that fortune of what the Cree bilingual is actually going to do for the future kids moving forward.”

He hopes his son can learn to speak Cree at a young age and learn more about Indigenous culture than Arcand did as a child.

The space may not end up being big enough, depending on the level of demand. Arcand suggested a second location further down the line.

“This will be the largest school in Canada, if not the world, in regards to Cree bilingual, and I think we’ve got to be proud of that as a city,” said Arcand.

The school will be open to students of any background who want to learn Cree and immerse themselves in Indigenous culture and teachings.