Budget to announce two new schools for Brandon

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/03/2025 (416 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s NDP government will announce funding for the construction of “a number” of new schools in the province in today’s 2025 provincial budget, including money for two new schools in the city of Brandon, the Sun has learned.

According to information leaked to The Brandon Sun ahead of today’s budget announcement, the province will fund the construction of a school in the city’s growing southwest sector for the Brandon School Division, with a scheduled opening date of fall 2027.

The province is also prepared to fund construction of a French-language school for the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine, with an opening date slated for September 2028. Once complete, the new French school would become the first such facility in Brandon to offer French-language education geared for francophone students, as opposed to French immersion instruction.

Speaking to the Sun on the condition of anonymity on Wednesday morning, a provincial spokesperson said that today’s budget will not include specific dollar figures attached to either of these construction projects.

“There’s a number of schools, and then there’s an amount allocated to those schools, but it isn’t like per school at this point,” the spokesperson told the Sun. “We have to do the design phase first.”

The news was welcomed by Brandon School Division board chair Linda Ross, who said schools in the division are “bursting at the seams.”

“For the last several years we have seen an increase of about 300 students per year, roughly,” Ross said. “Our immediate need right now is for a (kindergarten) to Grade 8 school. So if there’s one on the horizon, that would be fabulous.”

The former Progressive Conservative government under Heather Stefanson had previously announced the construction of nine schools for Manitoba through a public-private partnership model, including a kindergarten to Grade 8 school in Brandon’s southwest corner, which would have accommodated a minimum of 700 students and 74 child-care spaces.

But the Kinew government placed these school construction projects under review after it came to power in fall of 2023, stating that the province needed the funding in place before making any further announcements to build them.

BSD Supt. Matthew Gustafson said a new school in Brandon’s southwest corner would still require a capacity of between 600 and 800 students. Although not ideal for an elementary school, the need is too great, he said.

“The rate of growth is probably going to require a larger building,” Gustafson said. “Maryland Park School was over capacity the day it was completed. Capacity has become a very significant issue for us.

“All the schools west of Sixth Street are at 90 per cent capacity or more, with the exception of J.R. Reid.”

In fact, several schools are already well past their capacity, Gustafson said, including Betty Gibson at 103 per cent, Linden Lanes at 101 per cent and Meadows at 109 per cent. A new school in the southwest region of the city would have an immediate impact by alleviating some capacity pressures at Waverly Park School and Riverheights, but particularly at Meadows and Linden Lanes.

“In a perfect world we could probably use two more schools … two K-to-8 schools and another high school,” Ross added.

When reached by the Sun late Wednesday afternoon, Bernard Lesage, president of the Franco-Manitoban School Commission — the governing body of the Franco-Manitoban School Division (DSFM) — hailed the province’s pending school-construction announcements.

“It’s great, great news for the whole franco-manitobaine community across the province,” Lesage said. “We know how important francophone schools are throughout the province, and the second largest city in Manitoba, finally we get a francophone school there. I’m super, super excited about that.”

Currently DSFM operates École La Source, a kindergarten to Grade 12 francophone school at CFB Shilo. But École La Source is already at capacity, he said, and a new school in Brandon will meet the needs of students and their parents living in the city who do not want to make the daily trip to Shilo.

“We have had parents who for many years now have been asking for a new school in Brandon,” Lesage said. “We know that often parents have students who are entitled to the French language education (but) won’t choose a school if it’s not in proximity.

“Parents don’t want to have to take the bus for an hour and a half or even where it’s not in their community. So a school in proximity is very important, as much as it is for the Anglophone community.”

Lesage said he was already aware of the province’s plans to announce the new francophone school in Brandon today, adding the school division plans to send out a press release with more information following the budget announcement.

He did say, however, that the new school would accommodate approximately 450 students, as there remains a large number of parents in the area who want to be able to give their children a truly French education that also offers them cultural instruction.

“Our schools are also the hub for the francophone community to meet,” Lesage said. “It’s not just a school, but it’s also often a cultural centre for the francophone community. And so I think that’s a super big asset for the city of Brandon.”

Land for the new French school has already been purchased, Lesage said, though he was not ready on Wednesday to disclose where in the city the new school will be built.

“I guess our next step in moving forward — we have the land, so now we’ve got to work on the architectural plans and the design of this new school,” Lesage said.

“I’m sure once the community hears about it tomorrow in Brandon, there’ll be a lot of big smiles on their faces. I know the school board is going to be super happy.”

» mgoerzen@brandonsun.com

» Bluesky: @mattgoerzen.bsky.social