A resident of Regina’s River Heights neighbourhood is wondering what happened to the new school promised when Athabasca School was closed in 2011. “That new school has not been built and there is no indication when it will be,” writes Neil Scott. “Yet the province and the school boards have managed to find funding for three new joint use schools that weren’t even on the books four years ago.”

When Athabasca closed, the community prepared a research proposal to convert the facility into a community hub. The report gained national attention and is widely cited to this day, but was dismissed out of hand by Regina Public, which voted to sell the school property quickly, rather than providing time to consider alternative uses, and allowing the building to remain in public hands as a contingency location, as the community had argued – badly needed a few years later when Connaught was ordered shut.

Scott’s letter: Still no new school

Save Athabasca School campaign (2011)