After years of community groundwork, North Calgary is finally getting its much-needed high school.
Alberta Education Minister Adriana LaGrange, flanked by area MLAs and the Calgary Board of Education’s board chair Marilyn Dennis, made the announcement Friday.
In total, 15 new schools will be built across the province, with high schools in Calgary and Edmonton. Of 25 new school projects, Six schools will be replaced and four others will be modernized, according to the province.
It comes at a cost of $397 million and LaGrange said Alberta would be investing $1.8 billion on school spaces over the next four years.
David Hartwick, who began advocating for the high school when his kids were young – now both in university – expressed his sincere thanks to the province for finally coming through.
“This is a big day for families in North Central Calgary and I am so happy for the recognition that it’s our turn,” Hartwick told LiveWire Calgary.
LaGrange said it could take between one and three years to build the school, depending on the design. She expected that the North Calgary high school would take two years.
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Calgary city councillor Jyoti Gondek posted to Facebook after the announcement.
“For over a decade, residents of north central Calgary (including me) have been sounding the alarm that our communities are in desperate need of a public high school. For all that time, we watched as infrastructure needs of other communities were met while it appeared that we were not on anyone’s radar,” Gondek wrote.
“Today – FINALLY – the provincial government has announced capital for the construction of the North Calgary High School. This is a momentous day for our communities and validates the needs we have been expressing for so very long.”
More than just North Calgary high school included by province
Also included in the province’s announcement was a new elementary and middle school for the southeast Calgary community of Auburn Bay.
“We made a promise to Albertans that our government will continue to build new schools, and we are doing exactly that,” LaGrange said.
Through our significant investment in new schools, replacements, modernizations and infrastructure upkeep, our children will continue to learn in up-to-date and safe spaces.”
