Students at an Okotoks school will put their best foot forward when a new gymnasium is built in the not-too-distant future.
“We won’t have to be changing our shoes when we walk out and then put our indoor shoes back on when we go in (to the gym),” said Isaac Harding, a Grade 4 student at École Good Shepherd School. “Then (after gym class) we have to go back, take off our indoor shoes and do the same thing.”
A new gymnasium for Good Shepherd is on its way as part of the 2020 Alberta government’s modernization plan it was announced on March 9.
“You guys are going to get a nice new big gymnasium so you have a spot to do all those fun activities,” Highwood MLA RJ Sigurdson, told a group of Grade 4 students at the school on Monday.
The school’s first gym, which had a capacity of under 600 people, was closed in 2018 when the structure of its roof was compromised. Students have been using a temporary-standalone Sprung Instant Structure since April of 2019.
The old gym was part of the school when it opened in 1990 — the first school built for Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools.
No official price tag or timeline was given for the new gymnasium.
“This is going to have a capacity of 800 students,” Sigurdson said in an interview. “There is a lot of logistics that are required before construction, including the tendering of the project.
“This is the commitment to the government to getting the project completed.”
That’s a solid commitment he said, regardless of oil dipping down to less than $20 a barrel on Monday.
“This is a commitment to going ahead and getting it done as part of our plan this year,” Sigurdson said.
The present Sprung standalone structure has a special permit from the Town of Okotoks and has to be removed by October of 2022.
Michael Kilcommons, associate superintendent at Christ the Redeemer Schools, said the Town has been positive to work with, and he is hopeful that they can work with the town if the Sprung permit needs to be extended.
“I think there is some flexibility,” Kilcommons said. “It all depends on the process with the building of the new one.”
Good Shepherd School principal Wayne Lorenz said the new gym will be most welcomed.
Although the school’s enrolment has dropped slightly in the past few years with the addition of St. Francis Assisi of Academy in Heritage Heights School, with projections of around 730 students the gym is needed.
“Even with our current population, we couldn’t get into the old gym,” Lorenz said.
When the old gym was closed, school staff found unique ways for physical education — plenty of time outdoor and creative use of the school.
Lorenz said the Sprung Structure was an excellent facility and served the school well.
“It’s been an awesome addition to the school as well,” Lorenz said. “But I will be happy to have a fixed permanent structure.”
There are tentative plans to knock the old gym down during the spring break.
