Province reveals plans for new school on N.B. Ex grounds

The province of New Brun- The province of New Brunswick will be breaking ground for their new middle school right here on the Fredericton Exhibition Grounds horse racing track this spring. And it is going to be a beautiful school. The province is investing $96.8 million in this new school. The facility will include two gymnasiums, 32 classrooms, eight specialized classrooms, and a space dedicated to First Nations language and culture. According to Education Minister Claire Johnson, its capacity of 810 grades 6 to 8 students is 50% more than the current George Street Middle School can hold. So once again, it will be a school that's modern, accessible, energy efficient. Meeting community needs, close to where people live so that they can get to school, walking, cycling. The announcement of the school comes after the City of Fredericton completed expropriation of the grounds back in May and sold 12 acres of this land to the province for $7.7 million. Mayor Steve Hicks says despite hearing pushback from some residents about losing the racetrack, he's happy to see the school being built on the site. What's going on? I know the people in the horse stables are there until the end of the year. Obviously, you know, they're upset that they're leaving, but like I said, we're grabbing the school to build for the children of our future. As for Premier Susan Holt, the construction of the new school comes as news that she calls personal. Obviously, I have lots of bias here, but it would be incredible for me if my youngest could make the trip down Parker's Drive and be one of the first students in the new school. The province says the school will take around three years to complete once construction starts in 2027.