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School board to spend big bucks on renovations this year

Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board expects to spend $880,000 for interior renovations at Our Lady of Lourdes French Immersion in Elliot Lake and 378,000 for HVAC and lighting at St. Mary’s in Blind River as part of its capital improvement plan this year
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Steve Brown, H-SCDSB manager of plant services, March 22, 2023.

Between completing projects carried over from the 2021-22 school year and proceeding with new projects for the 2022-23 school year, Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board officials are busy with improvements to the system’s schools.

In Sault Ste. Marie, replacement of the PA system at Holy Cross Catholic Elementary School will cost an estimated $150,000.

Auditorium carpet for St. Mary’s College will cost an estimated $100,000.

Relocation of three portables from St. Francis French Immersion Catholic School in the Sault — two of them going to St. Basil Catholic Elementary School and another going to Sacred Heart Catholic School in Espanola in the summer — will cost an estimated $150,000.

Further renovations at St. Basil Catholic Elementary School will cost an estimated $450,000.

Those renovations at St. Basil include conversion of the former high school’s cafeteria into four classrooms — along with two portables from St. Francis French Immersion - for six new classroom spaces for students, said Steve Brown, H-SCDSB manager of plant services, speaking to reporters after the board's regular monthly meeting held on Wednesday evening.

Brown said enrolment is up within the H-SCDSB, due in part to many families of newcomers to the Sault settling in the St. Basil vicinity.

Projects carried over from 2021-22 include:

  • $446,000 for the HVAC system at Our Lady of Fatima in Chapleau
  • $378,000 for HVAC and lighting at St. Mary’s in Blind River
  • $589,000 for St. Basil in White River
  • $520,000 for renovations at Our Lady of Lourdes French Immersion in Elliot Lake 

Apart from work to be done at Holy Cross, St. Mary’s College and St. Basil in Sault Ste. Marie, other new projects for 2022-23 include:

  • $330,000 for barrier-free upgrades at Our Lady of Fatima in Chapleau
  • $880,000 for interior renovations at Our Lady of Lourdes French Immersion in Elliot Lake

Brown said projects carried over from 2021-22 should be done by May, with work on new projects for 2022-23 to take place this summer. 

“$2.9 million is what we're expecting to spend on projects this year,” Brown said.

There is $1.9 million left to be spent for the board's 2021-2022 capital projects in 2022-2023, with a net total of capital funding available in 2022-2023 in the amount of $3,644,450.

There is also $709,000 left in contingency funding.



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Darren Taylor

About the Author: Darren Taylor

Darren Taylor is a news reporter and photographer in Sault Ste Marie. He regularly covers community events, political announcements and numerous board meetings. With a background in broadcast journalism, Darren has worked in the media since 1996.
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