Construction set to begin on new joint-use school in north Regina

Construction is set to begin on a new joint-use school in north Regina.

On Wednesday, Premier Scott Moe, Mayor Sandra Masters, and Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill, joined students and staff from both the Regina Public and Catholic School Divisions to break ground on the new facility.

“It still might be a couple of weeks before fences go up and heavy machinery starts churning up dirt, but we’re here today to mark the beginning of that effort,” Cockrill said at the event at Imperial School.

The facility will be built on the site of the existing Imperial Community School, replacing St. Peter and St. Michael, Imperial and McDermid Elementary Schools.

“It’s so awesome to be here with all of you today, in particular, so awesome to be here with the students. This is what this announcement is about,” Moe said.

The school will provide space for about 800 students from pre-kindergarten to Grade 8, and will be able to expand to accommodate up to 1,000 students. It will have a community space and a childcare centre.

Mayor Sandra Masters said the inclusion of a community centre is an important aspect of the new facility and neighbourhood.

“We want not just schools for places where kids can grow and learn, but any place that can have residents gather together is good news for our city,” she said. “Investing in facilities like this is essential for a stronger, more vibrant community, for a place that people are proud to call home.

The new facility is expected to open in the fall of 2025. Once it is completed, it will be about roughly a quarter of the size of Mosaic Stadium, according to a release from the province.

“Bringing together four schools in one site speaks so well to the culture of the communities, and we know joint-use facilities work, and they work very well,” said Shauna Weninger, the board chair for Regina Catholic Schools.

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Sarah Cummings Truszkowski, chairperson for the Regina Public Schools, said rebuilding both McDermid and Imperial community schools were key concerns for the Regina Board of Education and administration more than 10 years ago.

“In that time, we’ve changed how we build schools, we have formed new partnerships, and we’ve created learning opportunities for which students can thrive,” she said.

“Rebuilding old schools from the ground up is a fundamental show of respect for our school families. It says to them that public education matters.”

To determine the name of the new school, Regina Public Schools will be launching a ‘Name Your School Campaign.’

“We are asking our communities for potential names, one of which will ultimately be the new school name, that will replace both McDermid and Imperial Community Schools,” Truszkowski said.

The province invested about $65 million into the new facility, and the City of Regina provided funding for the community space.