The new West Gate Public School welcomed its first students in September 2014 to unite the J.E. Benson Public School and Dr. H.D. Taylor school communities.
Project details
The new school was built on the Dr. H.D. Taylor property on Campbell Avenue. The project details and timeline for the new school include:
- Official Name: West Gate Public School
- Cost: $9,988,077
- Architect: Glos Associates Inc.
- General Contractor: Wincon Construction
- Construction Began: April 2013
- Completion: June 2014
- School Opened: September 2014
To learn more about the project, watch the student documentary called My New School on YouTube. To celebrate the start of new school project, a premier of this documentary was held at both schools for students, staff, and guests.
Celebration of completion
A celebration of opening was held in January of 2015 to show appreciation to all those who had a participated in the creation and realization of the new West Gate Public School. At the event, students described what the school meant to them, what it meant to be West Gate Wolves and to welcome the community to their new den.
History
In 2003, J.E. Benson Public School was declared Prohibitive to Repair* by the Ministry of Education and approximately $8.5 million was provided to replace the Wyandotte St. School which had been built in 1915.
After a Program and Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) study was ordered by the Board of Trustees in 2010, plans to combine the Benson and Dr. H.D. Taylor school communities were approved by the Ministry of Education. The Board retained Glos Associates Inc. to design the new school and their plans were approved by Trustees in November 2012.
*Prohibitive to Repair - when the cost of required repairs surpasses 35% of the estimated cost of replacing the building.