LANIGAN — The Town of Lanigan will be receiving a new educational facility following an announcement from Horizon School Division and the provincial government.
The new K-12 facility will serve 400 students and is one of six being announced by the province and was announced on Aug. 23 by Horizon School Division Director of Education Kevin Garinger, alongside other Horizon members and government representatives, including Education Minister Gord Wyant, and Minister of Finance Donna Harpauer.
The budget for the new building will be $21 million and is part of the provincial government’s $7.5 billion, two-year capital plan, said Harpauer, who also serves as the MP for Humboldt-Watrous. The new Lanigan K-12 school is one of six new school projects announced by the government.
The coming months will see the division and the government discussing designs and plans for the school and much has to be done before ground is broken, she said.
“We need to understand the requirements of the community members, students, teachers, families, and other stakeholders. Our government looks forward to working with the Horizon School Division in the community to plan on this wonderful new facility.”
This announcement would not be possible without the exceptional work of Horizon School Division and the Lanigan community, Harpauer said.
This new school has been a priority for both Horizon School Division and the province, Wyant said, and this will be a great new addition for Lanigan and area.
“These buildings are old and so have methods of teaching, pedagogies have all changed and so making sure that children have up-to-date modern facilities in which to learn in is pretty important, not just for kids but for the teachers that are delivering those programs.”
When Andrew Cebryk, Lanigan’s mayor, moved to the town in 1969, both the elementary and high schools were newly built. Time and age wait for no one, he said, and Cebryk welcomes this new investment into the community.
“This announcement will solidify Lanigan as a full-service community with the compliments of education, health, and recreation services as well as our many local businesses, and the welcoming of the surrounding area.”
Garinger said the school division is working with the education ministry to come up with a plan for the new facility. As part of that effort, the division will be talking to the town about what they’d like to see. Some schools share facilities like libraries with the towns in which they are based.
The facility will be open in 2023.
