Quaqtaq to get new school
$122M contract awarded to Les Constructions Pépin et Fortin Inc.
A design rendering shows the new Isummasaqvik School in Quaqtaq set to be completed in 2030. It will replace the current school building. A $122-million construction contract has been awarded to Les Constructions Pépin et Fortin Inc. (Photo courtesy of MS + Jodoin Lamarre Pratte Architects in Consortium)
Nunavik’s school board has approved a $122-million contract to build a new school in Quaqtaq, with construction expected to start this summer.
The current Isummasaqvik School, which serves students from kindergarten through secondary school, is old and has issues with its heating system. As well, pipe damage and leaks forced the school to close temporarily in April 2021, said Sarah Aloupa, president of Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, the Nunavik school board.
The project’s total cost is expected to be $178 million, funded by the provincial and federal governments through the Quebec Ministry of Education.
“I am very happy that the project was finally approved by the government because it took us many many years to lobby with the government to get it,” Aloupa said.
Construction costs are contracted at $122 million, through construction company Les Constructions Pépin et Fortin Inc.
A significant amount of planning and documentation went into the project, said Jérôme Dionne, director of material resources with the school board.
He said several sites were consulted for the school’s location but were rejected due to distance and road safety concerns.
The chosen site is close to the existing school, and sits on solid ground, Dionne said.
“The final choice was given to community members,” he said.
“Members of the landholding, municipality and education council were involved in the decisions.”
The new school will accommodate up to 250 students, compared to 125 students at the current building, and have spaces for cultural classes such as sewing and woodcutting.
A 680-square-metre gym is included in the design, which will make it the biggest one in Nunavik, Dionne said.
The new school will also have a proper outdoor activity area for students. The playground at the current school is next to a public street, Aloupa said.
“Safety is a very big issue,” she said.
“We’re lucky to have teachers that are responsible during recess or outdoor activity to keep students safe.”
The new school is scheduled for completion in 2030.
The plan is to hand over the current building to the Department of Adult Education and Vocational Training, which currently has centres in six Nunavik communities, Jade Duchesneau Bernier, communications co-ordinator, said in an email.
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