Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko announced that construction will begin later this spring on a $16.1-million major renovation and addition to École St. Malo School.

“Advancing education starts with making investments that will improve school infrastructure to support better learning,” said Ewasko. “This project will help École St. Malo School meet growing enrollment needs and curriculum delivery, along with improvements to essential school facilities. This construction project demonstrates our government’s ongoing investment in school infrastructure to ensure young Manitobans have access to quality education in safe and secure environments.”

Penn Co. was awarded the construction contract. The project includes work on approximately 23,000 square feet of area comprised of 10 new classrooms, a new gymnasium and multi-purpose space, fire and life safety upgrades, a new life-skills, resource and guidance suite, and renovations required within existing spaces to connect and upgrade required services and utilities.

“We are thrilled and excited to share the news of this project with our students, staff and community of St. Malo,” said Brad Curtis, superintendent and CEO, Red River Valley School Division. “This project would not be possible without the financial support from the Manitoba government, as its cost represents nearly 50 per cent of the annual divisional operating budget.”

Currently, 248 students between kindergarten and Grade 8 attend École St. Malo School. The school is at capacity with some students requiring transportation outside their neighbourhoods and being housed in temporary modular classrooms, straining existing school infrastructure and amenities such as gym and library access, noted the minister. The project will improve the delivery of educational programs by eliminating the need to use modular classroom units, reducing the crowding of existing school facilities and improving accessibility to the gym and library.

“This major classroom addition will not only meet the needs of the current student body but will also allow for future growth in the community,” said Curtis. “We look forward to having all of our students and staff together again in one building.”

Ewasko noted the project will also meet the Manitoba Green Building Policy , incorporating sustainable design and energy efficiency initiatives. The school is being constructed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver standards or better. LEED provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings of all building types and all building phases including new construction, interiors, operations and maintenance, and core and shell.

“In addition to its support of this project, the province has worked diligently to fulfill its 20 New Schools Guarantee and we are making great progress,” said Ewasko. “Our government is on track to fulfill its 20 New Schools Guarantee within the original 10-year time commitment. In addition to adding capacity for almost 11,000 additional students, this commitment will support high quality education for all students in Manitoba.”

The province has completed a number of new schools since October 2019 including:

  • Maryland Park School (kindergarten to Grade 8) in Brandon School Division;
  • Pine Ridge Elementary School (kindergarten to Grade 8) in Garden Valley School Division;
  • Niverville High School (Grade 9 to Grade 12) in Hanover School Division;
  • École Templeton School (kindergarten to Grade 5) in Seven Oaks School Division;
  • École Nord-Est (initial enrolment for kindergarten to Grade 1 with future expansion to Grade 8) in Division scolaire franco-manitobaine; and
  • École Waterford Springs School (kindergarten to Grade 8) in Winnipeg School Division.

Two schools, a kindergarten to Grade 8 and a Grade 9 to Grade 12, are under construction in Waverley West in the Pembina Trails School Division.

Design work has been started on four additional schools:

  • a kindergarten to Grade 8 school in Sage Creek in Division scolaire franco-manitobaine;
  • a kindergarten to Grade 4 school in Steinbach in Hanover School Division;
  • a kindergarten to Grade 8 school in Morden in Western School Division; and
  • a Grade 9 to Grade 12 school in Winnipeg in Winnipeg School Division.

The minister noted design work on six other schools is expected to begin shortly.