Construction of a new addition to Glen Stewart Elementary School in Stratford, PEI, received the green light from the provincial government today. Premier Pat Binns, Education Minister Chester Gillan and Grade 1 students Kayla Morse and Corey Miller turned the sod where the new addition will be built. Approximately 600 students, teachers and members of the community gathered to take part in the ceremony.
Honourable Pat Mella, Provincial Treasurer and MLA for Glen Stewart-Bellevue Cove; Honourable Mildred Dover, Minister of Health and Social Services and MLA for Tracadie-Fort-Augustus; Honourable Mike Currie, Minister of Transportation and Public Works and Wilbur MacDonald, MLA for Belfast-Pownal Bay also took part in the official sod-turning ceremony.
Minister Gillan complimented members of the Glen Stewart School Improvement Committee for their hard work and continuing support for the new addition to the school. He is pleased with the support the project has received from the community.
"Our education partners provided valuable input during the consultation process and the construction project at Glen Stewart School demonstrates we are all working together for the well-being of Island children," said Minister Gillan.
The new addition to the school will be 830 square metres and will bused by the Grade 1 students. It will consist of five new classrooms, one resource room, one medical room, one teacher planning centre, offices, washrooms, a storage area and a mechanical room. In addition, all windows in the existing school will be replaced during the construction project.
The construction at Glen Stewart School falls under the Capital Construction Plan for schools, recently announced by the Department of Education. The Capital Construction Plan will see over $35,000,000 being directed into various school repairs and additions throughout the province. The Plan is a multi-year deal that will not only enhance the infrastructure of ten Island schools, but also provide for the on-going capital maintenance of all schools in PEI.
"The addition to Glen Stewart School demonstrates our commitment to providing safe, comfortable and healthy schools for all Island students," said Premier Binns. Construction at Glen Stewart School is expected to be completed for January 1999. The architect for the construction project is Jones and Manning Architects and the general contractor is MacLean Construction Ltd., both from Charlottetown.