With construction officially started on a new school, Calgary Catholic high school students living in west Calgary will have fresh halls, fields and classrooms come 2028.
The yet-to-be-named school will be located at 1579 – 93 Street SW, and is to be built on the rear end of the property, with multi-use sports fields and 10 acres of public use green space closer to 93 Street. A road connecting the rear of the school to 17 Avenue SW will also be built as part of the construction, with school parking lots to be built near the access road, not connecting to 93 Street.
The school will serve Grades 10-12, and have an estimated population of 1,230. The facility will feature high-powered technology labs with access to cutting-edge tools, several gathering areas for students and two expansive athletic/recreation fields, according to a Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD)-issued press release. Chief Superintendent Bryan Szumlas said the school will be two storeys and west-facing.
“The amazing thing about this school is that it’ll be set at the west part of the property, and we will have things such as our fine arts lab situated on the second floor, which has a remarkably beautiful view of God, giving us the mountains,” he said.
“It’ll be just so majestic, imagine students doing paintings and their artwork and drawings looking out over the mountains.”
Lori Iovinelli, Vice Chair of the CCSD Board of Trustees, representing Ward 6, 8, and specialized programs, said the school has been long overdue, and is a dream come true.
“Currently, many of the Ward 6 students travel up to an hour each way to St. Mary’s High School, today by blessing this land, we mark our commitment to bringing faith-filled education closer to home,” she said.
“This milestone has been a long time coming. Since I began my trustee journey eight years ago, parents made sure I understood the need for a Catholic High School in West Calgary. Your advocacy, your patience and sometimes the gentle persistence have all guided me and I hope that when your children pass this school in the future, you’ll take pride knowing the vital role you played in making this dream a reality.”
Construction aside, the school’s next steps include naming and hiring of a principal.
According to Iovinelli, the 13 existing CCSD high schools are projected to reach over 100 per cent utilization next year. Szumlas said that continued school use and enrollment will depend on the growth of Calgary and the district’s staff and teachers “who work so hard each and every day and attract people to the Catholic School District.”
