A new school is in the planning stages for an Island First Nation since the school has outgrown the number of young people in the community.
Sheshegwaning First Nation Chief Alana Endanawas says construction of the new Samson Edowishkosh Elementary School will not begin until next year, since research is still being carried out on the final design of the new building.
She says the architects, Tillman Ruth Robinson Incorporated of Sudbury met with community members earlier this month to discuss what features they would like to see in the new school, which will be built behind the current St. Joseph’s School.
Endanawas says the architects will work on the final design with a final report expected this September.
She adds the school will feature four full-size classrooms for students from Grades 1 to 8, a resource lab, small gym, lunchroom and cafeteria with a completion date of September 2024.
The school feasibility study was completed in 2020 and in September of last year, Indigenous Services Canada approved the initial overall design of the new school. A request for proposal, RFP, was put out in October with the architects hired in November.