June 16, 2017
Province Begins Process to Build New Schools in Winkler and Niverville
– – –Priority Construction for Two of Manitoba's Fastest-growing Communities: Wishart
The Manitoba government, Hanover School Division and Garden Valley School Division have issued a request for proposals (RFP) from architectural consulting teams to finalize the design and tender for two new schools in Winkler and Niverville, Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart announced today.
“These new schools are priorities for our government based on the greatest need due to higher enrolment pressures in two of Manitoba’s fastest-growing communities,” said Wishart. “We are working expeditiously to ensure there can be shovels in the ground in spring 2018 and students in the classroom in September 2019.”
Wishart noted the province will be funding the construction of a new kindergarten to Grade 8 school for 675 students in Winkler with the capacity to expand to serve 875 students with the future construction of an eight-classroom addition and a new high school for 450 grade 9 to 12 students in Niverville with the capacity to expand to serve 550 students with the future construction of a four-classroom addition.
The school divisions have agreed to work with the Public Schools Finance Board (PSFB) on an expedited schedule that will enable project tendering in early 2018, the minister said.
In Winkler, the new 84,000-sq.-ft. elementary school will have kindergarten classrooms, regular classrooms, science labs and an art room, in addition to other specialized spaces such as a large library, computer room, resource teaching space, life-skills suite, multipurpose room, band room, home economics and industrial arts areas, and a large gymnasium.
The new 66,700-sq.-ft. Niverville high school will have regular classrooms, science labs and an art room plus other specialized spaces such as a large library, computer rooms, resource teaching and guidance areas, life-skills suite, multipurpose room, band room, drama room, a large gymnasium and fitness room.
Both schools will feature integrated child-care centres that will accommodate 20 infants and 54 preschool children. The Winkler school will also feature a large space to be used for nursery and before- and after-school programming.
The schools will be designed to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver rating. This builds upon the PSFBs long-standing practice of constructing highly durable, energy-efficient school buildings, the minister noted.
The deadline for submissions is June 23, with the contract to begin by June 28.
The PSFB is the provincial agency established in 1967 with responsibility for financing major capital projects in Manitoba’s public schools.
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