École Sainte-Anne and Centre communautaire Sainte-Anne will receive $4.4 million to begin work on a mid-life upgrade and decide how to handle the school's growing space needs.
"Investing in École Sainte-Anne and the Centre communautaire Sainte-Anne is an investment in New Brunswickers and our future," said Premier Susan Holt. "As enrolment continues to grow, we have a responsibility to ensure students have the modern, accessible learning spaces they need to succeed. By upgrading and expanding these facilities, we are strengthening public education, supporting families and creating opportunities for the next generation to thrive in our province. A strong education is the foundation of a brighter future."
The 10-year, $67.5 million project will begin with a detailed assessment of the space needs of the school, which has about 850 students in grades 6 to 12, and determine how best to address them.
"This support represents much more than a material investment," said Pascale Bergeron, executive director of the Centre communautaire Sainte-Anne. "It demonstrates a desire to support the vitality, safety and future of Greater Fredericton's francophone community."
The 2026-27 capital budget allocates $4.4 million for preliminary work to begin this year. This includes $1.5 million from the capital budget of Education and Early Childhood Development and $2.9 million from that of Transportation and Infrastructure. As well as studying the school's space needs, this funding will allow accessibility upgrades to continue and the first phase of window and lighting upgrades to begin.
"Over almost five decades this school has served a growing community," said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Claire Johnson. "École Sainte-Anne is one of three school mid-life upgrades we have committed to this year. We are investing in our existing infrastructure to ensure it can continue to serve communities for generations to come."
Among the options being considered is an addition of 2,700 square metres to the existing school, creating more space for classrooms, multi-function and project areas, art and music rooms, workshop and resource rooms, computer and science labs, office and administrative space, and gymnasiums. If an addition is not feasible, construction of a new building on the property will be considered.
"The work being announced will address real needs, driven by the sustained growth of Fredericton's francophone population," said Michel Côté, chair of the Francophone sud school district education council. "This growth puts constant pressure on our infrastructure and requires us to think from a long-term planning perspective. The planned work at École Sainte-Anne is, therefore, an important step in this process."
"Fredericton's francophone community has been requesting significant investment in the Centre communautaire Sainte-Anne for many years, and today's announcement is a concrete example of our government's commitment to New Brunswick's francophone and Acadian communities," said Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Jean-Claude D'Amours. "Modernizing the infrastructure of both the centre and the school will allow our future generation of francophone youth to grow and flourish in a dynamic, welcoming and engaged environment."
