Major Milestone in Development of New Elementary & High School

Feb 8, 2021

Years and years and years of work is culminating with another major milestone in the development of two new schools in the area of Waverley West B! A conditional use permit has been granted to establish an elementary, junior and senior high school. This is a huge step required in a process that brings the project so much closer to construction! Many many partners have been involved in the planning process to this date (see below).

The K-8 school is projected to be two story and approx 81,000 sq feet, for 800 students and 94 staff. Parking for 100 vehicles and 204 bike parking spots. (for reference, Ecole South Pointe is built for 800 students)
The junior and senior high school is projected to be 119,590 sq ft, for 1200 students and 135 staff. Parking for 208 vehicles and 144 bike parking spots.

A unique first of its kind design in Winnipeg will see a bus loop for loading and unloading students at all schools, with drop off areas and pick up areas. Site drawing is attached.

NEXT STEPS:

In the coming weeks / months, we anticipate Landmark Planning & Design will bring forward detailed school plans – for ‘plan approval’. Once plan approval is granted – construction can begin. BUT – roads of some kind to the site will have to be established – perhaps a gravel road at end of Cadboro connection to the school site so construction can start ASAP – while the major roads are constructed this year:

Partial extension of Bison Road from Kenaston to North Town Road.
An extension of North Town Road to Lee Blvd and an upgraded of a section of Lee Blvd.

This is another major step in seeing a huge prairie field be transformed – through years of land acquisitions / amalgamations and planning. I’ve been working on the development of Waverley West B for the past 6 years – Land development is an incredibly involved process that takes hundreds of hours of work with dozens and dozens of people – over years – to get to this point – a very very brief reflection on the highlights:

Manitoba Housing sold 200+ acres of land to Qualico Developments
Public Finance Board purchased 20+ acres of land for schools –
City of Winnipeg purchased 20+ acres of land for recreation campus and 3+ acres for Fire Hall
Provincial commitment to build new schools announced
City of Winnipeg and landowners engaged in a 1+ yearlong planning exercise to determine major roads / density / etc.
Qualico continues to purchase land from land owners wanting to sell Qualico applies and receives approval for first phase of development
Public Finance board and Qualico determined a different site for school would optimize transportation and development so relocated schools to new land
City commits $30 M for recreation campus and makes application to Provincial ($30M) and Federal ($30M) governments to match for new recreation center (still awaiting confirmation from both)
Planning and design of school site – to be joined to recreation campus occurs
City commits $10+ M to fund fire hall

This video also provides a short synopsis: https://janicelukes.ca/blog/update-south-winnipeg-recreation-cent/

I know this is incredibly exciting news for so many, and has been a long time coming!