Christine Grimard
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, November 28, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Renovations at St. Joseph school will likely be delayed as the final plans came with a price tag higher than budgeted.

While Yellowknife Catholic Schools had originally anticipated starting the retrofit in February 2008, Mike Huvenaars, assistant superintendent business for YCS, said that likely won't happen.

"The project won't be moving unless we have more money," said Huvenaars.

He couldn't say how much more money it will cost to complete renovations.

ECE had budgeted $22 million for the total retrofit, with $8.6 million coming out of the 2007-08 budget.

With the project expected to take a few years to complete, the remaining funds would come from future years' budgets.

YCS became aware that the amount wasn't enough when they received the final plans from FSC Architects and Engineers, the company contracted to oversee the renovations.

The board received the plans in mid-September, after they were submitted to the Department of Education, Culture, and Employment (ECE) and the Department of Public Works and Services around mid-August.

Shawn McCann, spokesperson for ECE, said the department has been meeting with YCS and Public Works to discuss the issue of increasing costs.

"We're working to identify and discuss possibilities for future decisions," said McCann.

Those possibilities could include reducing the scale of the renovations plans and seeking additional funds.

The plans for the retrofit date back to 2002, with reports prepared by YCS outlining necessary upgrades of the school's air, water, and heating systems.

"This isn't just a wish list," said Huvenaars. "Those plans are to make sure (the school) keeps running."

Huvenaars said he and Kern Von Hagen, superintendent for YCS, met with ECE and Public Works Nov. 16 to try and simplify the design.

Even with a simplified design, the school board will still need more money to complete the renovations.

In addition to the upgrade of the school's systems, the original plans for the St. Joseph renovations included an addition to the primary wing, and the construction of a mini-gym next to the entrance.

In a report issued by ECE last year, St. Joseph school had a 96.4 per cent utilization rate, the highest among elementary and middle schools in Yellowknife.

That number could drop this year as the school reported a decrease in enrolment of 41.5 students as of September 2007.