Fight for a school: Fredericton mayor says city school would be best for all

New Brunswick's capital city should get a new school over the rural community of Hanwell, Fredericton Mayor Mike O'Brien says.

At a council-in-committee meeting on Monday night, O'Brien said a school built in Fredericton would not only help the city, but the surrounding area and the province.

"A school strategically located in one of the fastest growing areas in the city of Fredericton, very close to the area that says that they want a school, would benefit everybody," O'Brien said.

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City staff presented a consultant's report at meeting detailing why Fredericton is the best spot to build a new school for kindergarten to Grade 8 on the south side of the city.

The report was a response to an Ernst & Young report completed a year ago, which said a school should be built in Hanwell. Following that report, the district education council for the Anglophone West School District placed a school in Hanwell as the second highest priority.

But O'Brien felt the report didn't properly take into account the growth happening in Fredericton. 

"We feel quite strongly that significant pieces of infrastructure, schools, major sports complexes, cultural centres, should be located in the urban area," said O'Brien.

The new report highlights Fredericton's past and projected population growth. The city's report also mentioned the existing infrastructure that may not be available in Hanwell.

O'Brien said a school in Fredericton would already have sidewalks to the school, could be immediately hooked up to water and sewer, and wouldn't need a well and septic tank like might be needed in Hanwell. 

"The street lights are there, the sidewalks are there, and the water and sewer are there," said O'Brien.

"It would be a far better economically, better decision for the province."

Decision goes to province

O'Brien wants the Anglophone West School District to take the new report into account when figuring out what priorities should be submitted to the province.

Many residents of Hanwell have been fighting for a new school, and are still hoping the  province decides to build in the rural community. 

Hanwell councillor at large Nicole Carlin said in an interview with CBC last week that the community wants children to attend a school in their own community rather than being bused an hour into Fredericton 

Carlin said a new school could be used for community events as well.