from today's T&T:
New Champlain school set to be built by 2016
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Times & Transcript
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=12536
A new École Champlain will be built in the next 2 1/2 years.
The Francophone South district education council made the decision official at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday night.
Members voted unanimously to recommend the Education Department build a new school by 2016, while also work to improve air quality around the current school until students and staff can move into the new building.
In early February,as part of the provincial government’s 2014-15 capital budget, the education department earmarked $99 million for school maintenance and upgrades.
This funding includes money for planning related to École Champlain, and although the exact amount of money set aside is not yet known, Education Minister Marie-Claude Blais said the process,including drafting blueprints and buying land if necessary, usually costs between $2 million and $2.5 million.
The school was built in 1969 at 211 Mill Rd., between Mill Road and MacAleese Lane, in the middle of an industrial park and has had recurring troubles with odours, which have been interfering with daily activities and leading parents and staff to question the air quality and potential health problems at the school.
The new school would expand to accommodate 800 students in kindergarten to Grade 8 (with a separate middle school section), and would be located in the same catchment area as the current school. The school will open in September 2016.
The decision was made will the input of parents and community members,as per the Education Department’s Policy 409.
Personal note - This announcement seems a little precipitous. The new Ecole Champlain may be the first priority of the Francophone Sud DEC, but it is usually up to the province to actually announce new construction projects…… 
Regardless, I have no doubt that this project will be approved by the province. It is a hot button issue involving a target demographic in an election year. The school should probably be moved. It should never have been built in an industrial area in the first place…….
It's just a little sad however. The current Ecole Champlain isn't that old really, and there are a number of other schools in the metro area which probably are in greater need of replacing than this. Hillcrest, Beaverbrook and Sunny Brea certainly come to mind. These schools are small, and are not able to compete with larger and more modern schools in terms of amenities. An important issue with Beaverbrook is that it is right on Mountain Road, which probably isn't appropriate, especially since it is a K-8 school.
Hopefully these schools won't be ignored the next time around……..
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I know a couple who own a residential building on the Highway Commercial zoning posted by MonctonRad. I was talking to them last night and they haven't yet been approached by any interested buyers recently, but they did say that in the mid to late 90's the city did come sniffing around.
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