13 more schools in the next decade, Tories promise

A re-elected Progressive Conservative government would build 13 more schools, mostly within Winnipeg, but the party was vague about any timeline other than promising it would happen within the next 10 years. 

Leader Brian Pallister pledged two new schools each for the growing subdivision of Sage Creek and the area of Waverley West and Prairie Pointe in Winnipeg, while the city of Brandon would also receive two new schools.

The party also promises a new school for Transcona, McPhillips and the north and northwest areas of Winnipeg. Beyond city limits, new schools are scheduled for West St. Paul, Steinbach and Morden. 

Of the 13 schools, three would be for French-speaking (Division scolaire franco-manitobaine) students. Only one would accommodate high school students.

$500 million for 20 schools

"Manitobans want and deserve more and better schools for their children, and they want them sooner than was the case under the previous NDP government," Pallister said at an announcement Thursday morning, outside Amber Trails Community School in north Winnipeg.

Pallister would not say how many of the schools he would be built in his next term.

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The party's headquarters later pegged the cost of the 13 new schools and the seven promised in the Tories' first term at roughly $500 million. 

This is the list of new schools announced on Thursday:

• Kindergarten to Grade 8 French-language school in Transcona.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8 school in Morden.
• Grade 9-12 high school in northwest Winnipeg.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8 French-language school in Sage Creek.
• Kindergarten to Grade 4 school in Steinbach.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8 school in McPhillips.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8 school in Sage Creek.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8 school in West St. Paul.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8 school in Waverley West-Prairie Pointe.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8 school in north Winnipeg.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8 school in Waverley West.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8 French-language school in Brandon.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8 school in southwest Brandon.

Pallister said the province must recover from the dearth of new builds while the NDP was in power. He said more than 11,600 students are learning in portable, modular classrooms, which is less than ideal. 

"We've been playing catch-up here," Pallister said. "We've been literally filling in holes. We've been patching foundations on schools. There's been asks for fixing roofs at various schools.

"We've been fixing schools over the last four years, and we'll continue to do that, but now we need to build new schools because a portable is not the answer."

The Tory leader, however, wouldn't guarantee that his pledge would eliminate the use of modular classrooms, as population growth can exceed projections.

The Progressive Conservatives said at the announcement that they'd build 20 new schools over 10 years, but seven of the schools are already underway, including schools in Niverville and Winkler that are scheduled to open this fall. Construction has started on new schools in the Templeton and Jefferson areas, and one in Brandon.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew said a government under his leadership would build the "same amount [of schools] or better," but also focus on what happens in the classroom, like hiring more teachers and establishing more supports for students.

The NDP said later in a news release that the Tories have yet to finish a single new school in its three years in government.

If elected, the Manitoba Liberals said they would make sure there are enough schools.

"We'll build as many as is needed," said leader Dougald Lamont. "We also want to make sure we're retrofitting old schools as well — we don't want to entirely rely on new funding."

Manitoba School Boards Association president Alan Campbell said the PC's pledge represents an important step in meeting local needs, "even while we are mindful that in several communities, the need for new school buildings is ‎immediate," he said in a statement.

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