Ground Breaking Ceremony for new $15 Million School in Smoky Lake

Ground Breaking Ceremony for new $15 Million School in Smoky Lake

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

It was a glorious afternoon in Smoky Lake Friday, September 24 for the official ground breaking ceremony for the new $15 million H. A. Kostash School.

A strong contingent of students, staff, trustees, and elected officials gathered outside on the site of the new build that is expected to get underway this fall.

Students Ella Turko, left, and Jewel Cherniwchan and Walker Chizawsky turn the sod.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)

Aspen View Public Schools, (AVPS) Superintendent Neil O’Shea welcome everyone shortly after 1 pm.

After ramping up the students, O’ Shea told the crowd, “I’d like to see all 332 students from Smoky Lake out there on the grass, however, we know that our current restrictions limit us to a gathering of 200 people. So, therefore we had to do some picking and choosing, something I didn’t want to do.

Two years from now when we’re actually back here cutting a ribbon there will be no restrictions and we’ll have a full-fledged school ceremony to open up this new building.”

O’Shea had a few words for the students before handing over the microphone to other guest speakers.

“Kids, the school that you’re going to see developing before your eyes over the next two years is a school that many of you are going to bring your children to. Many of you will also be bringing your grandchildren to.

You’ll be watching them perform on the stage. You’ll be watching them perform and play sports in the gym. You’re going to see in your new school a horticulture room. You’re going to see some really flexible spaces. You’re going to have a gym that has glass walls so everyone can see what’s going on.

This school is going to have a daycare centre so parents can bring their kids young, and we will take care of them all the way to Grade 12. It’s going to have a fantastic two storey library that overlooks Highway 28 so that anyone that is passing by will look at this school and say it is a landmark building in this community.

Schools don’t get built every year in communities. This school will be here for the next 50 years or 60 or 70 and that’s why I say this is not only an investment in our current generation, but it is an investment for years to come. So, it’s a very landmark day that we turn the stubble this afternoon. “

O’Shea also formally recognized with Alberta Infrastructure AI representative: Hersh Taheem, with Alberta Infrastructure, Heather Bretz, with Stantec, and Project Manager Trevor Loughridge; Principal, ACI Architects Darryl Rewniak.

Delnor Construction has been contracted to build the school over the next two years, and will be working closely with AVPS Secretary-Treasurer Aimee Hirtle. Construction will begin in October, and the school is expected to open in March of 2023.

County of Smoky Lake Reeve Craig Lukinuk said it was a very special day and one that came after many years of hard work. “There’s been a lot of lobbying done by the town council, county council, school trustees, Aspen View and everyone…. We’re very, very much looking forward to this school being built. It’s been a blessing. It’s been in the works for probably the last 10 years if I’m not mistaken.”

Official sod turning photo.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)

He thanked representatives from both the county and town for doing their part to lobby the provincial government to get the project approved. “It’s going to be a beautiful place to be for all the kids today and generations to come.”

Town of Smoky Lake Mayor Hank Holowaychuk said, “To the future generation sitting behind us, you folks are going to build a better Alberta, a better Smoky Lake. It’s in your hands and this school is going to help you do it….I want to say that without the cooperation, without the collaboration, without the communication none of this would be possible.

It took a concerted effort by the board of trustees, the community, Aspen Schools, all levels of government to bring this project to fruition. And I can honestly say that schools build our future.”

School Board Chair Candy Nikipelo introduced her fellow trustees who were in attendance. “It is an extremely special day for Smoky Lake. It’s a day that Aspen View Public Schools and the entire community of Smoky Lake have been looking forward to for many, many years.”

Nikipelo recognized former trustee and now trustee elect Elohne Chizawsky was a passionate advocate during her previous term on our board of trustees and she took every opportunity to bring the board’s attention and the public’s attention, indeed that H. A. Kostash School, although it had served well for many, many years and decades that it was starting to show its age, and to put it gently, needed immediate attention. She was a champion in making HAK’s Aspen View’s top capital project priority and getting the project on the Alberta Government’s sunshine list and that was very important to us.

And then over the last four years the former Smoky Lake trustee Tom Mykytiuk who was dedicated to rallying the community as well behind the project. It helped move it from a priority project to an approval project, which was indeed exciting. He was not able to be here but wanted to thank him and Elohne for their tireless advocacy in seeing this through.

Of course, wouldn’t be here today without the support of the entire Smoky Lake Community…The community came behind everything, so, they got behind Aspen View’s hashtag “New HAK campaign and you absolutely flooded government offices with hundreds and hundreds of letters. There was a letter writing campaign and demonstrated the support from the entire community. We can’t understate how significant that support was in demonstrating to the govt the importance of a new school in the community; and I really do believe that was instrumental in securing the project with the government.”

Nikipelo said rural Alberta schools are much more than a place of learning. “They’re actually hubs of the community, and I’m sure you can all agree that Smoky Lake School is one of the hubs of this community, a very important hub. We’re very honoured to be partnering with the town and the county in the project in order to provide the much-needed space for the daycare which will be welcome in our school. As Mr. O’Shea said we will be bringing little ones into our school who will finish out their education career upon Grade 12.”

The sod turning ceremony was very special to Dan Kotylak. He and his wife went to school at H. A. Kostash, and their children Spencer and Dexter also attended the school. He said it took a lot of begging, grovelling, hoping and wishing to make the dream of a new school come true. He is especially proud of the school’s history and excited about the future it will have in the community.