April 24, 2015
Manitoba Government Breaks Ground of New School in Northwest Winnipeg
– – –École Rivière Rouge School will Provide More French Immersion Opportunities, New Child-care Spaces in Riverbend, Surrounding Communities: Premier Selinger
Students and families in northwest Winnipeg will soon benefit from a new, $20-million kindergarten to Grade 5 French immersion school and early learning child-care centre, Premier Greg Selinger announced today while attending a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new school.
“Manitoba is growing and parents want to know that we will continue to invest in our education system by building new schools and creating smaller classes,” said Premier Selinger. “This new school will provide students with a quality education and bring families together as a gathering place for community events.”
The 50,744-sq.-ft. school will respond to enrolment growth in northwest Winnipeg and help keep class sizes small, the premier said, adding École Rivière Rouge School will include an early learning and child-care centre for 66 infant and preschool children.
He added the construction is targeted to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Standard for environmental sustainability and will create up to 184 jobs throughout its construction. The premier said investing in infrastructure is a key part of the Manitoba government’s economic plan to support steady growth and good jobs across the province.
École Rivière Rouge School will initially accommodate 400 kindergarten to Grade 5 French immersion students and could expand to have space for 550 students if needed in the future, the premier noted. Enrolment in Seven Oaks School Division has increased by approximately 2,000 students since 2007. Students attending the school will come from Riverbend, Rivergrove, Riverridge, West St. Paul, West Kildonan and Garden City north of Leila Avenue.
“This new school will help us relieve crowding in several of our schools, meet class size targets and provide students with a fabulous environment for learning,” said Claudia Sarbit, board chair, Seven Oaks School Division.
The new school is the latest in a series of significant infrastructure investments by the Manitoba government to support small classes, the premier said. This includes 30 classroom renovations,
19 school additions and five new schools including Amber Trails Community School, which opened in January of this year and now provides space for 452 kindergarten to Grade 8 students from surrounding communities.
Since 1999, the Manitoba government has invested more than $1 billion in public school capital projects including 21 new schools and 14 replacement schools, and has completed extensive renovations and additions to dozens of existing schools.
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