Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is in need of a new school to accommodate its growing student numbers and address a mould problem at the current school, reports CBC. A 2016 school feasibility study noted that the school—which was originally intended to just serve elementary students—had been expanded with nine portables to accommodate junior high and high school students. All nine portables have since been condemned and removed and, according to the study, “every inch of the reception, hallway, gym, library and some change room spaces has already been repurposed as classroom teaching spaces.” According to CBC, many students bus out of the community to attend school in Valleyview, but these students do not receive a culturally sensitive education. Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation Chief Sheldon Sunshine said that the community needs a new, larger school to address the lack of space and bring students back to the community. Sunshine also noted that a new school would include dedicated spaces for Cree language instruction and land-based learning.
