Renovations are now under way at the 26 rue Leslie in Campbell’s Bay in preparation for the Pontiac Continuing Education Centre’s (PCEC) return there at the end of August.
In March, the Western Quebec School Board (WQSB) council of commissioners approved an early call for tenders in order to finish the work on time before the upcoming school year. The final contract, valued at $1,987,000.00 tax excluded, was awarded to LEXCO Construction Inc.
“Renovating this building was determined to be the most cost-effective option,” read a statement sent by WQSB head of administration management Rachel Vincent, adding that the school board already owned the building.
The school, which was last occupied in 2013, requires a complete interior renovation, including major architectural, mechanical and electrical improvements, as well as the construction of new administrative offices, a gravel parking lot at the rear of the school and an entrance ramp.
The PCEC was formerly housed at the school, and moved to its current location in Shawville during a period when its student population was dwindling. Now that the school’s population is stabilizing once again, WQSB assistant director general Pascal Proulx said it is a good time to make the permanent move back into the Campbell’s Bay building. About 100 students are expected to attend.
Although the St. John’s building has sat unoccupied since 2013, the WQSB said it is working to make sure that the building complies with all construction codes, and that all health, safety and accessibility requirements are met prior to the return of students. Vincent confirmed in a statement that there are no major deficiencies in the building at this point.
Moving the PCEC to Campbell’s Bay will open up its current location on the back side of Dr. S. E. McDowell Elementary School to be free to host students and staff from Onslow Elementary School, so that that school can also be renovated.
Onslow is slated to receive $4,700,000 of renovations starting this year, which will include a gutting of the school’s interior, including the addition of a classroom, an air conditioning system, and a new staff room and library. The concrete under the floor, which is cracked, will also need to be replaced. The repairs are slated to be completed in Aug. 2027.
The approach marks a shift for the school board, which previously attempted smaller renovation projects across multiple schools but found progress slow and fragmented. Proulx said this time they are hoping that progress on renovations can be made faster.
“[We] never get to the point where a school is in good shape, you know, that’s the problem. So, we said, ‘Well, let’s remove all the students from Onslow and renovate the entire school,” he said.
Vincent said the sequence of moves will also help accommodate expected growth at Dr. S. E. McDowell Elementary in Shawville.
Once Onslow returns to their home building, Proulx said the wing that Onslow formerly occupied will be freed up for renovations. “And then, we can move some students in that new wing and renovate the other wing,” he said.
“That way we’re able to renovate the entire McDowell [school] in a way that we will really see a huge difference. Instead of investing in a little project like $500,000 a time, we can invest millions. It’s faster to make a huge difference.”
Proulx said if the phased renovation strategy is successful, the model could be used across other schools in the region.
