Manitoba government sets aside funding to buy land for 7 new schools

The province is setting aside $24 million to purchase land for seven new schools in the province — two in the city of Brandon and five in Winnipeg.

The Brandon projects include a future kindergarten to Grade 8 school and a Division scolaire franco-manitobaine (DSFM) kindergarten to Grade 12 school, Education Minister Cliff Cullen announced Thursday. They are part of a pledge by the Progressive Conservative government to build 20 new schools in Manitoba in 10 years. 

"Our government is committed to continuing to deliver on our 20 New Schools Guarantee, and these new school sites, alongside the schools now completed for neighbourhoods in Brandon and Winnipeg, demonstrate that we know how critical these schools are to local communities," said Cullen.

Cullen's announcement comes as the first new school under the Progressive Conservative government opens in Brandon. Maryland Park School opened at the beginning of January in the city's south end, with capacity for 450 kindergarten to Grade 8 students, along with 112 licensed child-care spaces. 

The planned school projects in Winnipeg include:

• A future kindergarten to Grade 8 school in the Sage Creek neighbourhood of Louis Riel School Division.
• A future kindergarten to Grade 8 school site in the Devonshire Park area of the River East Transcona School Division.
• A future kindergarten to Grade 8 school in the West St. Paul area of the Seven Oaks School Division and A second future kindergarten to Grade 8 project in Precinct G.
• A future kindergarten to Grade 8 school in the Waverley West–Bridgwater Lakes area of the Pembina Trails School Division.

Of its 20 new schools commitment, the province said six are open and in use, two are going to tender in the spring of this year and four will start design in 2021-22.

The remaining eight schools are expected to be designed and completed ahead of the original 10-year commitment, the province said.