Province to invest ‘millions’ in Brandon schools

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The Manitoba government is set to invest millions of dollars in school infrastructure projects across Brandon as part of its $174.3-million budget for school buildings, additions and renovations, Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt told the Sun on Monday.

Manitoba school divisions have been grappling with “hundreds of millions of dollars” in infrastructure needs, according to Manitoba School Boards Association president Sandy Nemeth. These needs include fixing aging boilers, repairing leaking roofs and upgrading school facilities to maintain safe and effective learning environments.

Brandon School Division Supt. Mathew Gustafson said some of Brandon’s schools are more than a century old, requiring significant heating and ventilation upgrades. For instance, Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School’s boiler system is due for replacement, while George Fitton School would benefit from a dual-boiler system to provide backup in case of failure.

It’s hard to solidify the dollar amounts of those projects until they’ve gone out to tender, Schmidt said.

“I will be happy to provide more detail soon, but I can assure you that it’s going to be millions of dollars of investment flowing into the beautiful region of Brandon,” she said. “We have several significant infrastructure and renovation projects underway, including a full roof replacement at Crocus Plains. There’s also a major renovation at the new Maryland Park School, which, unfortunately, was built too small by the previous government.”

Additionally, the provincial government is replacing boilers at Earl Oxford School, installing a new roof at École Harrison and upgrading heating systems at J.R. Reid School.

“We’re making substantial capital investments in Brandon,” Schmidt said.

These projects, she said, are long overdue, and the government is ensuring that “promised investments” are delivered.

The minister noted two new schools have been announced for Brandon — a Grades K-8 school for BSD in the southwest part of the city and a Grades K-12 school for the Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine. In addition to addressing student capacity needs, these schools will include hundreds of child-care spaces.

Gustafson acknowledged the province’s commitment, but said specific financial details on the portion allocated to Brandon would be clearer in the coming weeks.

“We have some capital projects in progress, including roofing, boilers, heating and emergency lighting,” Gustafson said. “We are also preparing a submission for our five-year capital plan, which will outline additional needs.”

The provincial government, the minister added, has pledged to improve the capital funding process to ensure schools receive infrastructure upgrades in a timely manner. She said the department is working closely with the Department of Public Service Delivery and school divisions to better prioritize projects based on urgency and impact.

“The previous government failed to properly budget and prioritize these projects, leaving school divisions struggling to catch up,” Schmidt said. “We are committed to reversing that trend and investing in students and communities, including Brandon.”

Since the NDP formed government, Schmidt said, the Brandon School Division has seen a more than 12 per cent budget increase, allowing for the hiring of additional staff to support student learning.

“We know that the Brandon School Division — and school divisions across the province — are playing catch-up after years of underfunding and forced cuts,” she said. “Restoring the system won’t happen overnight, but our government is working hard. We’re investing in students, strengthening communities and ensuring Brandon is part of that progress.”

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