A community celebration was held Monday to celebrate the official opening of École Mer-et-montagne, a new elementary school to serve Francophone students in the Campbell River area.
“My congratulations to all those who have helped to bring this latest Francophone school to life in Campbell River. The Conseil Scolaire Francophone is a vital part of our education system and we are pleased to support its impressive growth,” said Minister of Education George Abbott.
Conseil Scolaire Francophone board chair Raymond Ouimet said the new school is an example of teamwork.
“The new building of École Mer-et-montagne is a reflection of what the Province and the Conseil Scolaire Francophone can do to benefit education and the Francophone children of this province when they work together,” said Ouimet.
“Today, we can only thank the Ministry of Education, and note that we managed to build something quite remarkable.”
The total cost of the new school was $10.1 million, with the provincial government contributing $8.9 million and the federal government contributing $1.2 million.
The project created 65 new jobs for the area.
The school is on the now vacant site of Rockland Elementary School.
Only the existing gym was retained after seismic upgrading. The school has a capacity of 100 students from kindergarten to Grade 7.
École Mer-et-montagne was built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold standards.
Design features include:
- Systems to harvest rainwater
- Ground source heat pump
- Energy efficient mechanical and electrical systems
All Francophone schools in B.C. are part of the Conseil Scolaire Francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF).
The CSF is a public school district that covers all of B.C. Since its inception in 1995, the CSF has offered programs and educational services enhancing the full development and cultural identity of Francophone learners in the province.
Enrolment in the CSF for 2011-12 is 4,607 students, a two per cent increase over last year, and an increase of more than 63 per cent over the last decade.