New Francophone School for Eastern Shore

Francophone students on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore will attend a new, modern school that will replace École des Beaux-Marais.

“This new school is part of our plan to update aging schools and plan for population growth across the province, including in our Acadian and francophone communities,” said Premier Tim Houston. “The Department will work closely with the community to design a school that will serve the Eastern Shore for many generations to come.”

The Premier made the announcement today, May 18, alongside Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Becky Druhan and Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie, at the current school in Porters Lake.

The new school, under the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP), will serve students from pre-primary to Grade 8. It is part of the Department’s five-year capital plan to be released later this month.

The next step is choosing a site for the new school. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development follows the site selection process outlined in the Governor in Council Education Act Regulations, looking first at the existing school site.

The Department of Public Works will issue a tender for the design of the replacement school once the site selection process has been completed and approved by the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development.

École des Beaux-Marais is a former Halifax Regional Centre for Education school built in 1950, with an extension added in 1972. It was taken over by CSAP in 2011 and serves the area from Lake Echo to Ship Harbour.

The school is expected to open in September 2027.

Quotes:

“This project sets the stage to build on the strengths of the current school community while creating a place that will serve students well into the future. We are excited to work with CSAP and the community to move forward.”

– Becky Druhan, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development

“We are delighted with the announcement of a new school to replace the current building. It will offer our students a very rich, high-quality school experience in a new, modern building.”

– Marcel Cottreau, President, Conseil scolaire acadien provincial

Quick Facts:

• in March, the Province announced $240.8 million to build and renovate schools, including an increase of $24 million for capital repairs and $40 million for new modular units
• additional funding for new school construction will be announced in the coming weeks
• the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial is the only francophone school board in Nova Scotia and serves the entire province with 22 schools
• CSAP offers education in French as a first language to people of Acadian origin and other francophones

Additional Resources:

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development: https://beta.novascotia.ca/government/education-and-early-childhood-development

Conseil scolaire acadien provincial: https://csap.ca/