Mitchell Middle School plays its part in the timeline

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This article was published 10/07/2023 (577 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The page turned to a new chapter for the community of Mitchell at the sod-turning for its middle school expansion.

Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen took the opportunity to dig into what it means to build community as he dug into the earth beside construction workers building the $3.6-million addition. Another 100 students will be able to attend the school when it is complete in September 2024.

“We’re just playing a part of that in the timeline of building and advancing our communities and making them great places to raise our families and to live,” said Goertzen.

“We’re all the trustees of our community. We’re doing things because we want those who are in the middle school today… we want them to grow up in communities that are vibrant, that have strong futures where they have opportunities, and they can take on roles like many of you have here and then they can do the same for the next generation because that’s how you build strong communities: you leave it a little bit better than you found it for the next generation.”

Goertzen, a former Education minister himself for two-and-a-half years until January 2021, was in Mitchell June 29 with Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko to commemorate the start of construction of 5,400 square feet that will house four new classrooms, service spaces and washrooms.

Minister Ewasko, who has held the Education portfolio since January 2022, spoke of school expansions also making way for economic expansion.

“Giving more opportunities for younger families to move into the area, and to provide high quality education right here in Mitchell without necessarily having to move to another location prior to high school,” said Ewasko.

The need for more school space comes from having more kids born and moving into Mitchell.

“Growth is a great problem to have,” said Goertzen.

“There are pressures on a variety of different services that we have,” he added.

Mitchell Middle School is a Grade 5 to Grade 8 school with approximately 290 students and 32 staff, until those 100 extra students come in.

Hanover trustee for ward two Charmaine Toews pointed out students also come daily from Kleefeld, Landmark and New Bothwell to take tech ed and human ecology courses. All three of her children attended this school.

“This groundbreaking symbolizes the investment we are all making in our future generations, the children that will one day serve their community as teachers, construction workers, journalists, doctors, mechanics, bakers, and any other number of ways. An investment in education truly pays dividends for everyone,” said Toews.

Hanover Reeve Jim Funk was also there, and sees more school expansions as inevitable.

“As families grow, schools get fuller and we have no choice but to grow,” said Funk.

While Funk recognizes Mitchell is a bedroom community for Steinbach, he said providing places for all those kids to go when school is out, like the new skatepark built just over a year ago, are important. He was also looking forward to some self-sufficiency.

“Steinbach has all the facilities we need in Mitchell. (But) we definitely would like to see some growth as far as businesses in the community. That is something we’ve been working on and we have been getting growth as you can see just off the 52 highway,” said Funk.

The provincial government is building 23 new schools between 2019-27. That is not including expansions like the one in Mitchell.

Projects completed, started or on the drawing board in the region include a new Kindergarten to Grade 4 school and child-care centre in Steinbach (tender), science lab renovations at Steinbach Regional Secondary School and Stonybrook Middle School (construction), Niverville Middle School wall cladding replacement (complete), Niverville Elementary School roof replacement (design), Green Valley School gym addition and renovations (design), Landmark science lab renovation (complete), Ste Anne Collegiate modular classroom unit (complete), École Ste Anne Immersion modular classroom unit (complete), École Île-des-Chênes School roof, structural, wall and mechanical renewal (construction), École Pointe-des-Chênes mechanical systems (design), École/Collège régional Gabrielle-Roy modular classroom unit (complete), Arborgate School boiler replacement (construction), École Saint-Joachim modular classroom unit (complete), École Lorette Immersion elevator addition, École St. Adolphe School modular classroom unit (construction), Saint-Pierre-Jolys’ École Communautaire Réal-Bérard modular classroom unit (complete) and roof and wall replacement (construction) and mechanical systems replacement (design), École Héritage Immersion modular classroom unit (construction), École Dugald modular classroom unit (construction), Oak Bank Elementary modular classroom unit (construction) and electric duct heaters and roofing replacements (complete), Springfield Collegiate structural replacement (construction) and two science labs (design), Powerview and Whitemouth schools science lab upgrades (complete), Hazelridge School stair lift main floor to gym (design), Roseau Valley School mechanical steam heating system replacement (design), École Saint-Malo School modular classroom unit (complete) and classroom addition (construction).