Paul Kane High School students are abuzz with excitement this week as they start a new year in a brand new building.
The students came back from Christmas break Jan. 9 for their first day at the new Paul Kane. The roughly $50 million facility has been under construction since Sept. 2020 and is now all but complete.
“Welcome to the first day of school at the new Paul Kane!” said principal Erin Steele, addressing some 1,400 cheering students in the school’s gym.
The school has many new features its predecessor lacked, Steele noted in an interview: plenty of windows, a gym big enough to host major tournaments, and a cafeteria able to cater events of about 400 people. The school is now complete, apart from the gym’s video wall and the drama room’s spotlights, which are set to come in later this week, and the cafeteria, which is scheduled to open in February following gas hookups and final inspection.
Speaking in the gym, Steele urged students to respect the new building and not break any of its furnishings, as their families would have to pay for any repairs.
“This is one of the top five nicest high schools in Alberta. It’s something you should be proud of.”
Students all smiles
Students and staff spent most of Jan. 9 exploring their new home before gearing up for final exam season later in the week.
Students’ Union member Nathan Yue said he saw a lot of awe and joy among students as they got their first look at their new digs.
“It was amazing to see how large it was compared to the old school and how much more open it was,” he said, adding that he personally was surprised to see actual sunlight in the halls.
Yue said the new gym is large enough to host the school’s annual award ceremonies (which traditionally have occurred at the Arden Theatre), which could improve the school’s sense of community. The school’s washrooms have floor-to-ceiling walls and doors for toilet stalls, and are open to the halls for improved safety and privacy. (The boys’ washrooms have too many urinals and not enough toilets, but that will be fixed this summer.)
Chemistry teacher Michael Ng said his new classroom (which he dubbed “Batcave 2.0”) features a nice view of the sunrise and the school’s six electric vehicle chargers. The new science lab has powerful ventilation systems which will let teachers and students perform smoke-producing reactions and experiment with esters — a class of chemical too smelly to work with in the old building.
“We haven’t done (ester) labs for over 10 years now, and I’m really looking forward to it,” Ng said.
Grade 12 student Dylan Durand, who was one of the workers who built the new Paul Kane, said it was strange to see all the finished rooms when he walked into the building Monday. When he last saw it in February 2022, crews were still putting up the drywall. He said the new building’s modern look is a marked improvement from that of its prison-like predecessor, and could help draw more students to the school.
“Funny story: I’m only here for the rest of the week,” Durand said, as he is just a few final exams away from finishing high school.
“I worked in here for almost a year and I get to enjoy it for a week!”
Questions about the new Paul Kane should go to the school’s receptionist at 780-459-4405.
