CARROT RIVER — The planning and design phase has begun for a new $21 million Kindergarten to Grade 12 school in Carrot River.
Among the figures in attendance at the Aug. 25 announcement at the current high school was Premier Scott Moe, MLA Fred Bradshaw, Education Minister Gordon Wyant and Mayor Ila Boehm.
The new facility will replace both the Carrot River Junior Senior High School and Carrot River Elementary. It will serve up to approximately 400 students.
“The two schools in Carrot River have been spaces of growth for many students and families over the course of the last half a century, they hold a rich history in this community – but we recognize these buildings have nearly reached the end of their life,” Moe said.
“The new Kindergarten to Grade 12 facility will stimulate the growth and the development of the families and the students in this community for future generations, for many years to come.”
Moe said this new school will carry modern features, requiring less touch contact on surfaces to slow the spread of germs and viruses throughout the premises. Rosthern’s new school was used as an example, with no touch water fountains and washroom sinks.
“It’s our hope that we have access to a vaccine sometime this winter, certainly by spring,” he said.
“The fact of the matter is, all of our new schools have some modifications to address general infections. We deal with influenza, we deal with colds, coughs, things each and every year – and students are a vector for transmission of many cases, those communicable diseases in even more of a fashion than they are of COVID-19.”
Don Rempel, director of education for the North East School Division, said it feels gratifying to have the announcement after years of effort to secure the funding for the new school.
“Anytime you can have a new capital build, K to 12, it just brings a lot of excitement to the community and the surrounding areas,”
He said the Carrot River Junior Senior High School will be demolished once the new school is operational, while the elementary school will be reused by the division.
The high school’s newest gym, which is about 15 years old, will be reused by the school.
“I’d love to have an invitation back for the grand reopening,” Rempel said, making reference to this being his last year in his role with the division. “If not, I’ll just show up one day and walk through the school.”
