New elementary school announced for La Loche
The provincial government is committing funds for a new facility to replace Ducharme Elementary Community School in La Loche.
The announcement was made Tuesday morning and it took Northern Lights School Division (NLSD) Director of Education Jason Young by surprise. He said such large projects are typically announced during the release of the provincial budget in March, so getting the green light for the development caught him off guard.
“With all the challenges the community has been facing, it’s certainly welcome and exciting news,” Young said. “I know the people there are ecstatic and appreciative of the government’s consideration to invest money in the North.”
The school is experiencing a number of inefficiencies as Young noted the heating and energy system is poor, and the water and sewer lines are operating at or twice the life expectancy. He mentioned there was also a major ground disturbance resulting in the building to shift, as well as portables added to the structure which are in poor repair.