Province building K-8 English-French school, early years facilities in new north Winnipeg suburb

A new kindergarten-to-Grade 8 school is being constructed in one of Winnipeg's fastest-growing neighbourhoods.

Premier Brian Pallister announced Thursday that the 76,430-square-foot school will be built on Jefferson Avenue east of King Edward Street in the Waterford Green neighbourhood. It is expected to be ready in time for the 2020 school year.

The school, located in Winnipeg School Division, will be designed for 600 English and French-immersion students, with the capacity to accommodate an additional 225 pupils.

It will feature a child-care centre with 54 preschool and 20 infant spaces along with additional space for a nursery-age program.

It will also include two science laboratories, another science, technology, electronics and mathematics (STEM) lab, an art room, home economics lab, an industrial-arts lab and a large gymnasium that will be open to the community, the province said.

In a statement, Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen said the proposed facility is one of seven new school projects currently underway in Manitoba.

He said design work is nearing completion and the province plans to release the tender for construction on Nov. 30. By bundling design work with a new kindergarten-to-Grade 5 school in Seven Oaks School Division, the province saved $400,000, he said.

The province announced the selection of LM Architects as the project's prime consultant. The Waterford Green school will achieve LEED Silver and Manitoba Hydro Power Smart energy standards, the government said.