Premier Scott Moe (centre) formally announces the $21 million Carrot River Consolidated School project outside the town's Jr. and Sr. High School (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW Staff).

By Aaron Schulze

Carrot River Consolidated School

Carrot River’s consolidated school formally announced, construction beginning 2021

Aug 26, 2020 | 4:04 PM

In March 2020, the Government of Saskatchewan revealed in its 2020-21 expense report that Carrot River would receive funding for a new, consolidated elementary and high school.

On Aug. 26, a formal announcement with extra details was held outside Carrot River Jr. Sr. High School.

Premier Scott Moe said construction for Carrot River’s consolidated school will begin in 2021 and wrap up in 2023. The school will hold 400 K-12 students and the project will cost approximately $21 million.

Moe said the province’s criteria for school rebuilds includes the school’s age, the quality of the facility, student population, and projections for future student populations. He confirmed Carrot River’s consolidated school was on the province’s original list of education-related capital projects around budget time.

“It’s somewhat been advanced this year… as we look at every opportunity to recover our economy post COVID-19 pandemic,” Moe said. “There will be a little lag as our private sector gets up to pre-pandemic levels, but we feel it’s the government’s opportunity to step in. The credentials of the need to build this particular school was most certainly there.”

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Carrot River’s consolidated school is one of four new schools being built amidst the province’s $7.5 billion in infrastructure projects. Moe said all of the newly built schools will have modifications – including no-touch water bottle fill stations and sinks in common areas – to address general infections such as commons colds and influenza.

“This time it’s COVID-19, but in 10 years it might be something else,” he said. “This school here for the next half century, not the next five years.”

Don Rempel, director of education for the North East School Division (NESD), called the announcement gratifying, especially prior to his retirement at the end of the 2020-21 academic year.

“I was the assistant director in Nipawin School Division from 2000 to 2005 when they built the new gym here; when they consolidated the two schools by moving grades over to the high school,” Rempel said. “The life of a facility built 50 years ago is about 50 years. The government has been very good in responding to new schools in Hudson Bay, Porcupine Plain, Central Park in Nipawin, and Carrot River.”

Carrot River Jr. Sr. High School will be demolished once the consolidated school is built in 2023 (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW Staff).

“[Carrot River is] a thriving community. We’ve had lots of great academic and athletic success come out of Carrot River. This community is going to have a school for the long-term. It’s a great facility, well deserved by the kids in the community of Carrot River going forward.”

The new consolidated school will be built around the Jr. Sr. High School’s gym. The high school will be demolished once the consolidated school is built. Rempel said Carrot River Elementary School’s building could be repurposed if the town or other partners are interested.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow