Court puts Whitehorse French school on hold

The Yukon Government has won a temporary reprieve from last summer's court order to build a new francophone school in Whitehorse.

The judge also ruled the francophone school board has complete control of staff and existing facilities at École Émilie-Tremblay.

Last summer, Yukon Supreme Court ordered the Yukon Government to begin building a new high school at École Émilie-Tremblay immediately.

It also ordered the government to restore $2 million in funding it had diverted to French-language programming outside the francophone school.

Yukon government lawyer Maxime Faille says that was all put on hold this week with an Appeal Court ruling.

"The Court of Appeal stayed a number of them but not all of them, but certainly in terms of the big ticket items the ones that were particularly problematic for the Yukon Government they have been stayed so we're pleased with that result," said Faille.

French board happy with ‘major gains’

Lawyers for the francophone school board are celebrating, too.

While their new school remains on hold, this week's interim ruling gives the board control over operations and management at the school.

"The buildings, the lands, management of the staff, the budget, management of people who are allowed to be enrolled at the school … and the fact that French language communications must begin immediately between the board and the government, so major gains were obtained," said Roger Lepage, the board’s lawyer.

Lepage says the ruling also imposes tight guidelines on the lawyers involved to ensure the appeal is heard next March.

The Yukon Government also wanted school admissions restricted to children from francophone families. Faille says the Francophone school board retains its right to admit who it wishes, for now.

A hearing of the government's appeal will be heard next March in Whitehorse.