Alix McNaught
Northern News Services
Published Friday, June 6, 2008

YELLOWKNIFE - Up to 150 students from St. Joseph school will spend the year at a Yk No. l facility starting this fall now that a $30 million retrofit is set to begin.

Speaking during the 2008-09 budget planning meeting June 3, Mike Huvenaars, assistant superintendent of business at Yellowknife Catholic Schools (YCS), said there is no room at St. Joe's to house all the school's students during the retrofit, which is expected to take two years to complete.

St. Joe's lost four portable classrooms and its mini-gymnasium to a fire in August 2006. Smoke and water damage resulted in the temporary loss of several other classrooms, and more than 100 St. Joe's students were sent to public schools N.J. Macpherson and William McDonald while cleanup and reconstruction began.

The displaced students were back at St. Joe's by the start of the school season last fall, after seven modular classrooms were purchased to house the students.

The GNWT paid for five of the portables, and YCS covered the approximately $560,000 it cost to purchase the other two.

Huvenaars said the portables were only a temporary solution. The retrofit of St. Joe's is set to begin July 1.

According to Huvenaars, between 120 and 150 students will be moved out of St. Joe's during year one of construction and between 150 and 200 during year two.

"Relocation has always been part of it," said YCS superintendent Kern Von Hagen.

"I think, in general, parents have known that all along."

Von Hagen said some parents may say YCS promised students would stay at St. Joe's because of the portables

"We would need another seven portables," he said, if they wished to accommodate the entire school. He added that since the government is insistent they not waste money, purchasing more modular classrooms when the school is being renovated is counterintuitive.

"We have a very aggressive retrofit schedule. We have to move about half the student population, because you can't live in spaces (they're) working on," said Von Hagen, adding that they'll be allocating space in the school based upon the construction schedule.

Acknowledging some parents will be upset, Von Hagen said he views it as a positive thing that students and parents don't wish to leave the school.

"At the end of the day, it's a good news story. We have a plan," he said, referring both to the retrofit and housing the students.

Built in 1978, St. Joe's has been slated for a renovation for some time.

During the first phase of the retrofit, year one, nine classrooms will be renovated and three new ones will be built, in addition to a new mini-gym and staff room. Renovations will also be done on the school's main gym and library.

Huvenaars said he expects work on the nine classrooms to be completed by March 2009 and the new classrooms, gyms, library and staffroom to be ready for September 2009.

Year two of the retrofit will involve the rest of the school going under construction.

The seven portables will be in use throughout the next two years.

When construction is complete, the five owned by the GNWT will be taken by them to use for other construction projects. YCS has not yet decided whether to sell or maintain theirs, but they will be moved off of St. Joe's, said Von Hagen.