The community of Wedgeport is very happy with the announcement that an aging school will finally be replaced.
Ecole Wedgeport was built in 1960 and efforts have been underway for many years to have it replaced.
Community Action Group co-president Kelley LeBlanc says for the people in Wedgeport, it was more than the fact the building was old and deteriorating.
She says the school is the heart of the community.
“The school is definitely dated, but for us as a committee, there’s lots of issues. But our big focus was, we need to ensure that the culture and the French language of Wedgeport are maintained. We all know if there’s a new school, you’re going to keep people in your community. It draws people in and makes sure people stay there. The school is really the heart of our community. I think that’s why the government was supportive of it. They see cultures and rural communities and dying French language as something important to them. It’s not just about the dying structure, it’s about maintaining Wedgeport as a vibrant community with culture and language.”
A new elementary school will also be built in Clare.
Education Minister Zach Churchill says construction for that new school is scheduled for 2019-2020.
Last summer the CSAP announced two of its schools, Saint-Albert and Jean-Marie-Gay, would be closed after the 2017-18 school year.
Students from those schools would be transferred to the Stella-Maris and Joseph-Dugas schools, respectively.
Stella-Maris and Joseph-Dugas will close in the summer of 2022, with a new Clare school to open in September 2022.
