In Whitehorse, planning begins for francophone high school

Planning work is set to begin on Whitehorse's first francophone high school, afterthe school board and the territorial governmentawarded a design contract.

Thibodeau Architecture and Design, which has offices in Whitehorse as well as Vancouver and Montreal, won the contract to complete functional planning.

"This is an important step in our joint work supporting French first language students in the Yukon," Education Minister Doug Graham said in a statement.

Marc Champagne,executive director of the Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon, said the school boardwants the new high school to include facilities for the entire community.

"A flexible auditorium that could be used for theatre for cinema, adult education, the possibility of a community radio station, music facilities, recording space possibly," Champagne said. "But these things need to be explored and defined."

Champagne said building acommunity-focusedfacility would allow the boardto access federal funds that wouldn't otherwise be available.

Part of the planning process now underway will include consultations with the public, starting next month.The functional planning work is expected to be completed by the end ofMarch.

The school board does not have a site yet for the school, but it has indicated itspreferred spot next to the new F.H. Collins school in Whitehorse's Riverdale neighbourhood, where there's currently a skate park.

Negotiations between the school board and the Yukon government are ongoing.