Progress Being Made on Truro, Musquodoboit Area School Construction

Three new school construction projects in the Truro and Musquodoboit areas are on track for completion over the coming year.

The tender for construction of Musquodoboit Rural High School was awarded to Maxim Construction. Harvey and MacKenzie Architects designed the school, which will have an estimated 450 students in grades 7 to 12. The school will be built on land near the existing high school at an estimated cost of $14.3 million.

The tender to build Stewiacke Elementary School was issued by the Department of Transportation and Public Works on Aug. 1 and will close on Aug. 24. Based on a design originally used at Cumberland Elementary School, it will cost an estimated $8 million and serve about 267 students in Primary to Grade 6.

Construction of Truro South Elementary School also will go to tender at the end of this month. About 566 students in Primary to Grade 5 will come from Douglas Street, Princess Margaret Rose, St. Mary's and Willow Street schools in downtown Truro. The estimated cost of the new school is $8.5 million.

The actual completion dates for these schools will be announced after the contracts are awarded, based on discussions between the contractors, the province and the respective school boards.

Together, Musquodoboit Rural High School, Stewiacke Elementary School and Truro South Elementary School are expected to cost about $30.8 million.

The three schools are part of a multi-year, $400-million provincial government construction and renovation program. Since 2003, construction of 17 new schools and 42 major renovation projects have been undertaken by the province.