By Adan Shaikh
A proposal to temporarily relocate École des Fondateurs to Elizabeth Heights Park has been struck down following significant public opposition during the April 7th Regular Council Meeting.
École des Fondateurs, Camrose’s Francophone school operated by Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord (CSCN), is currently located in a former dormitory building at the Keystone Centre. The existing facility is inadequate for student needs, prompting CSCN to propose the construction of a temporary modular school in Elizabeth Heights Park. This arrangement was projected to last five to 10 years while the school board secures funding and constructs a permanent building.
“The building we have been using since the start of the school year in 2014-2015 is not a school facility. It is a former dormitory that we have converted. There is no gymnasium, no proper classrooms. The building was never designed to be a school. We can provide a better-quality school facility that includes real classrooms, which the school already owns, and this solution requires a temporary site to accommodate it,” explained Robert Lessard directeur général/superintendent of CSCN, in a conversation with the Camrose Booster.
“I want to mention this in case the community does not know, our school is actually in very close proximity to an Open Doors facility, it’s where the homeless and active drug users go to find resources and the help they need. We have had instances of drug dealers threatening the children, we have had individuals who are clearly under the influence of substances coming through our yard while the children are out playing there. We have also have had instances of things getting stolen from the school. My family moved to Camrose from Ontario because of how safe the community is, we came from a place where drugs were a big problem and I just want to provide my children with a safe learning environment where they can go to school without having to do constant checks for safety. I would like to see our school have the opportunity to relocate to another area which can provide a safe environment for the children,” said Emily Fontaine, a concerned parent.
Al-Terra Engineering Ltd. on behalf of CSCN, submitted an application to the City of Camrose requesting redistricting of the park site from Parks and Recreation (PR) to Institutional (I) to accommodate the temporary school. According to the Alberta Municipal Government Act, municipal reserve land like Elizabeth Heights Park may be used for public parks, recreation, or school purposes. Administration supported the redistricting and emphasized that the reserve designation would remain intact and that the park would be restored to its original state once the temporary school vacated the site.
The need for a new location is evident and opposition from the public was not in regards to the building of a new school facility. The public’s only concern was the location chosen by the City for this project, where many residents have carefully picked their properties based on the location and amenities available in that area.
The application faced extensive community pushback. Residents voiced their concerns at an open house held on March 18 and at the April 7th public hearing. City administration received over 100 written submissions, and more than 75 people attended the regular council meeting, with 17 individuals speaking—most in opposition.
“We appreciate the extensive community feedback and are doing everything we can to mitigate these concerns while still providing the facility we require. We understand that any disturbance to the park is not desirable for many residents, and so we are working on detailed site plans that minimize the visual impacts of the school to make the integration of the school as seamless as possible. The site has been assessed by the City and our engineers as having appropriate municipal services and transportation access. Additionally, the temporary public school use will not enable future development of the site. The City remains the owner and the designation of this site as Municipal Reserve limits all future uses to park and school board uses only,” commented Lessard.
Even those who supported the need for improved facilities for the Francophone students acknowledged the validity of concerns raised by neighbours. Several parents expressed support for the idea of a temporary school but believed a different location would be more suitable, emphasizing a shared desire to avoid negatively impacting any part of the community.
“I live across the street from Elizabeth Heights Park. I would like to make it clear that I am not opposed to the establishment of a Francophone school, however I am opposed to rezoning Elizabeth Heights Park from a parks and recreational land to institutional land for any reason. I understand that the Municipal Reserve (MR) designation will remain and the MR allows the use of this land for parks, recreation and school board purposes. After the proposed temporary school has been relocated to a permanent spot, how can we be assured that another school will not be interested in this space, temporarily or permanently? After all this space will have already been rezoned and the services will have already been installed. How can we be assured that the MR designation will not be changed over time? I see this possible rezoning as a slippery slope and I am concerned that a precedent will be set. Not only for Elizabeth Heights Park but other parks and recreation spaces in Camrose as well,” explained Carol Green, a concerned citizen.
“My understanding is that CSCN intends to grow their enrollment numbers from around 18 to a 120 students in the next five years, as stated by a CSCN representative at the March 18th open house. When this school was established in 2014 they had 30 students and now they have about 18, clearly their numbers are decreasing not increasing, I am curious as to how CSCN arrived at their projection and has the City seen any projection studies? Can we as home owners have access to this information?,” commented Green.
“I know that the city has a responsibility to provide adequate land for schools but what does adequate mean in this case? Does it mean rezoning a prime park space in hopes that ‘if we build it they will come’,” questioned Green.
She highlighted the lack of information the City has provided the property owners around the area and the lack of justification on why this specific location was selected for this relocation.
The proposed temporary facility would have served 75 to 120 K-12 students, along with 12–16 preschoolers and up to a dozen staff. The park, which does not currently have any playgrounds or public amenities beyond a winter ice rink, was selected for its central location, existing municipal services, and minimal development constraints.
Those opposed to the project cited concerns over traffic congestion, noise, environmental impacts, loss of green space, and potential depreciation of property values. Many residents were also skeptical about the “temporary” nature of the school and feared the change in zoning could open the door to future permanent development. Others worried about the lack of guarantees and clarity regarding the removal timeline of the school.
Following these deliberations, Council voted against second reading of Bylaw 3363-25, effectively halting the plan to relocate École des Fondateurs to Elizabeth Heights Park. The city and school board will now consider alternative locations for the interim facility while continuing its pursuit of a permanent home.
