Richer School gets new roof, province begins talks over new Ste Anne school
Advertisement
Richer School will be getting a new roof, and provincial officials have met with Seine River School Division’s administration and board for the first time about a new regional high school in Ste Anne.
Colin Campbell, the division’s superintendent, told The Carillon the province approved the design for Richer School’s new roof. He said the goal is to start construction in summer 2026.
“At the end of the day, we’re really happy that it’s looking like we’re going to get a new roof there, and it’s well needed in that school,” Campbell said.
He said the need arose in the Kindergarten to Grade 8 school when the roof sprung leaks during heavy rain storms. Most of the leaks were limited to the attic spaces, which Campbell said needed to be “taken care of right away.”
The province will be footing the bill for the roof construction, Campbell said. While there isn’t a quoted cost yet for the project, he’s expecting to see an amount soon.
Progress on Ste Anne school
The division’s administration and board met with provincial officials on Nov. 3 about the new Ste Anne school, said Campbell.
The officials asked the division for enrollment projections, legal and land development papers, and what vocational programs the division wants at the school, he said. Those are expected to be completed by the end of November.
“What they want to know from us is what vocational programs are we interested in? Which ones are community interested in? And then within budget, how do we make those two work well together,” Campbell said.
He said that the community has already shared that an automotive and heavy duty mechanic program and electrical trades program are wanted.
When choosing a vocational program, Campbell said two deciding factors are what parents ask for and what the market need in the area is.
The new school was announced in the province’s 2025 budget in March. The current plan is to begin construction in 2027, with it opening September 2028.
The school was supposed to be built by September 2027, under the former Progressive Conservative government through a private partnership model. However, the project was paused and cancelled when the NDP won the 2023 provincial election.