Elbow Park School

Elbow Park School was seriously damaged in the flood, including cracks to load-bearing walls. As a result the school will be closed for the 2013-14 school year at a minimum. The CBE has provided a summary of the situation on its website.

The primary concern is for the students of Elbow Park and Rideau schools; the CBE is working on plans for September and will discuss these at a meeting on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 6:30 PM. It's a public meeting and all are encouraged to attend. A meeting summary will be posted on this page.

Beyond the impact on EP students, as residents of Elbow Park we want to ensure Elbow Park school continues to be a centrepiece of our community. There has been some talk that the school may be relocated if it cannot be repaired. This would take away a vital part of our neighbourhood and is something we should fight to ensure doesn't happen.

Premier Redford's office provided this update on July 15, 2013. The update about Elbow Park and Rideau schools starts in paragraph 3.

''As we move forward from the recent unprecedented flooding in Calgary, I as your MLA, and my government, will continue to assist you through the recovery process. 

''Initially, our government rolled out debit cards to provide financial support to those who were evacuated and a disaster recovery program to ensure that affected Albertans could repair flood-damaged homes as quickly as possible. The disaster recovery program is now accepting applications from homeowners to repair or rebuild their primary residence and other uninsurable property damage and loss. For information on the disaster recovery program, please visit http://alberta.ca/2013DisasterRecoveryPrograms.cfm 

''Another important step in our recovery is ensuring our community schools are taken care of. As you know Rideau Park School and Elbow Park School were impacted and suffered extensive damage from the flooding. I have been in close discussion with Education Minister Jeff Johnson regarding the condition of these schools and am pleased to provide an update. 

''Earlier this week, Minister Johnson toured both schools to see firsthand the efforts underway to get these important buildings repaired as soon as possible. The Minister also attended a meeting with the Calgary Board of Education, school staff and parents of both Rideau Park School and Elbow Park School to discuss the future of these two schools. 

''During the meeting CBE officials told parents that, if all goes as planned, Rideau Park School should be open in September, which is great news. 

''While Elbow Park School will not be open next year, Minister Johnson committed to ensuring the province will do all it can to save as much of the historic school as possible. We know how important this school is to the community – it’s part of family memories and our community’s heritage.

''I understand the Calgary Board of Education and parents agreed to meet over the coming weeks to discuss options for Elbow Park students. It’s our hope that the board does everything it can to keep Elbow Park student cohorts together in the fall. My government has already committed to doing whatever we can to make this possible. 

''Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Emma or Bailee at my constituency office at (403) 252-0346. As we learn more we will continue to keep you informed.

- Alison Redford, MLA for Calgary-Elbow and Premier of Alberta