PORTERS LAKE, N.S. 鈥� Francophones in Nova Scotia鈥檚 Eastern Shore are getting a new school built by September 2027, Premier Tim Houston announced Thursday.
Houston鈥檚 announcement that the aging 脡cole des Beaux-Marais would be replaced was cheered by a small group of students who were brought into the school鈥檚 small gymnasium to hear the premier.
鈥淲e are committed as a government to advancing French first-language education for students through new school infrastructure,鈥� Houston said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen tremendous enrolment at this school and the need is there for sure.鈥�
Located in Porters Lake, about 30 minutes outside Halifax, 脡cole des Beaux-Marais was built in 1950 and serves the area from Lake Echo to Ship Harbour. It was taken over in 2011 by Conseil scolaire acadien provincial, which administers the province鈥檚 French-language schools.
Houston said the Education Department would work with the community to design the school and to choose its location. The school will serve students from pre-primary to Grade 8.
The premier said the cost would be included in his government鈥檚 new capital plan to be announced May 29.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have a (cost) number today, but the message to the community is that our commitment is to get this done,鈥� Houston said.聽
The Department of Public Works will issue a tender for the design once the site selection process has been completed.
Superintendent Michel Collette said demand for French-language education in the area has grown steadily since 2011. There was an enrolment of just 12 students (in 2011), he said, adding that enrolment is now nearly at capacity with 245 students.
He partly credited population growth in the Halifax region for the increase in demand, but the main reason, he said, was the community鈥檚 decision to embrace a culture and heritage that had receded over the years. He characterized nearby Chezzetcook, N.S., as a lost Acadian community.
鈥淲ithin this community there are a lot of families who over the years lost French, their language and their culture,鈥� Collette said. After the school was taken over by the francophone school board and boosted enrolment, "a lot of these families turned and said, 鈥榣et鈥檚 build this community again.鈥� And that鈥檚 what happened.鈥�
He added that a new building or even a rebuilt school on the same site would make 鈥渁 big difference in the lives of students.鈥�
鈥淪o I think that modernizing or replacing this building will change the overall experience that students receive."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2023.
The Canadian Press
