MOOSE JAW — Completing renovations at École St. Margaret School will be Holy Trinity’s focus this fall, while it has many other projects it plans to pursue over the next three years.
and The province later provided another $1.5 million, bringing the total commitment to $5.5 million.
However, Holy Trinity Catholic School Division estimated that the total project cost is $7 million, leaving a shortfall of $1.5 million, a report presented during a recent board meeting said. Therefore, the division will fund the remaining amount using its preventative maintenance and renewal (PMR) account.
The report noted that the PMR account is expected to have accumulated $1,017,166 by Aug. 31, 2025, but after subtracting $275,000 to build a soccer pitch in Swift Current and removing $989,150 to finish the St. Margaret upgrades — — the division expects to have $373,016 remaining for other projects in 2025-26.
Those other projects include replacing Vanier Collegiate’s air conditioning and rooftop units for $128,125, upgrading Vanier’s resource centre/library for $105,000, rejuvenating classrooms throughout the division for $78,000 and upgrading and repairing IT equipment for $26,000. This will leave $35,891 by Aug. 31, 2026.
Meanwhile, Holy Trinity had planned to demolish the six portable classrooms at St. Margaret School for $60,000, but decided to repurpose two units and sell the remaining four, with contractor C&S Builders to perform that work, a board report said.
However, the division conducted another on-site analysis and decided to relocate one portable to the division office for storage, while the contractor could keep the other five units, the document added. Holy Trinity estimates that the engineering and screw-piling work to install the portable will be $30,000.
Curt Van Parys, chief financial officer, told trustees during the June meeting that the province is reducing the division’s PMR funding next year to $625,000 from $703,000 because of the new joint-use school. He pointed out that Holy Trinity will not receive any PMR funding for Our Lady of Hope Elementary School during its first seven years of operation, as per ministry policy.
Other PMR projects
During the board meeting, trustees approved the division’s three-year PMR program, which will see the organization spend $2,705,000 from 2026 to 2029 on school upgrades, the report said.
2026-27
The division plans to spend $918,000 during the 2026-27 year, including:
- $226,000 at St. Agnes for classroom upgrades and moving the admin office to the lower level
- $226,000 at St. Michael for replacing the forced air furnaces, repairing the exterior cinder blocks and rejuvenating classrooms
- $396,000 at Vanier Collegiate for upgrading classrooms, renovating the library, replacing a rooftop unit and paving the bottom of Henleaze Avenue
- $30,000 at Christ the King in Shaunavon for new windows
- $40,000 for asbestos abatement at all schools
2027-28
The division plans to spend $954,000 during the 2027-28 year, including:
- $26,000 at St. Agnes for classroom upgrades
- $426,000 at St. Michael for repaving the parking lot and fixing a nearby catch basin
- $371,000 at Vanier for replacing a rooftop unit, repaving the staff parking lot, installing new flooring in Sion Hall, upgrading classrooms and repairing the north wall in the industrial arts room
- $65,000 at Christ the King for upgrading the base of the play structure and replacing asphalt
- $66,000 at all schools for asbestos abatement and IT upgrades
2028-29
The division plans to spend $833,000 during the 2028-29 year, including:
- $40,000 at St. Agnes for replacing a roof section
- $530,000 at St. Michael for addressing metal cladding and insulation and a pneumatic conversion
- $175,000 at Vanier for replacing a rooftop unit and a section of the roof
- $22,000 at Christ the King for upgrades to the building automation system
- $66,000 at all schools for asbestos abatement and IT upgrades
The next Holy Trinity board meeting is Monday, Aug. 18.
