End of an era
Spruce Avenue School to be replaced under Alberta’s school accelerator program
The 97-year-old life of Spruce Avenue School is coming to an end. After serving students for decades and acting as a heritage landmark for many residents, the building is set to face demolition as part of the Government of Alberta’s new school accelerator program.
On May 14, Edmonton Public Schools hosted an informational session where they told residents that a new school will be built, replacing Spruce Avenue School located on 114 Avenue and 102 Street. Despite the school board’s recent information session, some community members say they were left out of the planning process and their wishes to preserve the school were not considered.
Diana Sapozhnikov, president of the Spruce Avenue Community League, says, “They just ignored all of our attempts to be heard and to be part of the process.”
The league expressed their interest in preserving the 1928 school building to the public school board in 2022 and again this year. They were informed that many decisions regarding the school’s future had already been made.
“Our interest was in preserving the current building and modernizing it,” says Sapozhnikov. “It seems like the conversation is well past it.”
Nearly a century old, the school holds significant heritage value for many in the community. “It’s a landmark in the neighbourhood. It's our namesake,” says Liz Hill, civics director of the community league.
Kim Smith, communications consultant with the Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB), says the board has had the Spruce Avenue School project in its capital plans for almost two decades, aiming to address the school's accessibility challenges and aging infrastructure while ensuring students have access to modern, high-quality learning spaces.
“Given the age and condition of the current Spruce Avenue School building, and the least impact on students during construction, the Division supports a school replacement,” she says.
Smith cites the EPSB’s Three-Year Capital Plan as a resource for the public. She says they submitted these plans to the Government of Alberta, which decided what projects would be funded.
While the design phase is underway for the new school, Smith emphasizes that the EPSB is also mindful of the school's legacy.
“The Division is exploring how we can honour the history and reflect the identity of the school community and the neighbourhood in the new designs,” Smith says.
Any information collected from the community will be shared with the provincial government during the design process, she adds.
Spruce Avenue is one of many schools a part of the School Construction Accelerator Program. The government has committed $8.6 billion to the program, which aims to create more than 200,000 new or modernized student spaces.
During the information session, Kim Holowatuk, a representative from EPSB, explained that the decision to replace rather than modernize the school was based on a feasibility study conducted during the pre-planning phase. She noted that the new school would improve learning spaces and accommodate up to 605 students — an increase from the original school's capacity of 450. The school is currently in the design phase and is expected to be built by 2028.
A statement on the accelerator program by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says that, as Alberta’s population is rapidly growing, the government is taking action by funding and building the schools needed to support the province’s expanding communities.
“As we build, we’re asking school boards and municipalities to work with us so we can get shovels in the ground as quickly as possible,” the statement reads.
The public can share their feedback on the project through Edmonton Public Schools' Spruce Avenue School replacement survey, which is open until May 28, 2025 at 4 pm.
They don’t have to tear down the building for gods sake: THIS IS WHY WE HAVE SO MANY CULTURAL PROBLEMS. Stop demolishing history!!!