North Spirit Lake First Nation celebrates the opening of its new school on Sept 28
Click here to check out the photos of the school opening
New school opened at North Spirit Lake
Sept 29, 2011
North Spirit Lake First Nation celebrated the grand opening of Victoira Linklater Memorial School on Wednesday.
"The children of North Spirit Lake have a beautiful new school to learn and grow in," said Chief Rita Thompson. "This facility will be an asset to our community for current and future generations to come."
The Victoria Linklater Memorial School is a four-classroom facility built to accommodate 96 students from kindergarten to grade 9. The school is 1,545 square metres in size and houses a library with a computer laboratory, a gymnasium and an administration office. It also features a baseball diamond, a soccer pitch and a separate fenced area for kindergarten children, which includes play equipment.
The new school was built thanks to a $14.4 million investment under Canada's Economic Action Plan and an additional investment of $1.5 million through Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada's Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program.
Greg Rickford, Member of Parliament for Kenora and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, congratulated the North Spirit Lake First Nation on the grand opening.
"Ensuring that the students in North Spirit Lake First Nation receive a quality education is a priority for the government of Canada," said Rickford. "With this new school, the young students of North Spirit Lake First Nation now have a safe and welcoming learning environment to help them reach their full potential."
North Spirit Lake First Nation is located in northwestern Ontario and is accessible only by air or winter road. It has a total population of 466, of whom 414 live on reserve.