New school location announced

Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter

 

The location of the new K-12 school was presented and approved by town council at a special council meeting on April 28. Golden Hills School Division was notified last year that Strathmore had been approved for a new school by the provincial government. Since then they have been working with the town, looking for the right location.
The proposal brought to council was to have the new school located in Edgefield. The land will be dedicated as municipal school reserve, with the title transferred to the school board and the town.
“The school will be located in a community where development is ongoing and occurring, as such the school site supports the overall development of that community,” said Werner Fischer, director of planning and development.
Bevan Daverne, superintendant of schools for GHSD, is pleased that a suitable site has been secured for the joint building project of the school and a recreation facility.
“We are excited (that) town council has taken this important first step and are looking forward to beginning the design process with all our partners for the new facilities,” said Daverne. “In addition to being a solution for the growing needs of the school division, we see this combined facility as a wonderful asset for town and county residents.”
Councillor Rocky Blokland was opposed to the Edgefield location.
“My reasons are because even though I realize the dome was the kicker in this thing for the school site, the Hillview location to me is the logical site, there should be no deadlines there, the community is well established, roads, pedestrian crossing are in place, it’s a much safer area right from the start,” said Blokland.
“I would suggest that we continue to work with this developer, or both these developers, on the next school site, obviously with the dome being part of that plan.”
Councillor Pat Fule stated that by working together as partners it may make Strathmore more favourable, and put the town higher on the list when it comes time for the province to determine which schools will be built and when.
“I would hate to see us not pursue this matter in the way we’re thinking because it may make us fall down as far as being a desirable community for an approved school by the government to be,” said Fule.
A motion was made to have council negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding with the developer, which will facilitate the construction of a school site and field house on 12 acres of land within the Edgefield Area Structure Plan.