Construction of the Yukon’s first francophone high school is scheduled to start in May 2019 at the former F.H. Collins Secondary School site.

The new school will be completed by November 2020.

The project was posted for public comment Monday by the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB).

“The building will utilize existing underground infrastructure work that was completed for the old F.H. Collins school design and other efficiencies such as a fibre optic cable network, phone, television and bell systems which can be accessed from the current F.H. Collins building,” the YESAB public notice reads.

The neighbouring schools – the new F.H. Collins Secondary and Selkirk Elementary – will remain open during construction.

Safe walkway corridors and traffic control in the area will be maintained as necessary.

Last November, the Department of Education put the project’s capital budget at $20 million.

A departmental spokesperson could not confirm before this afternoon’s press deadline whether that number has changed.

The francophone high school project emerged out of a 2009 lawsuit by the Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon (CSFY) against the territorial government, “for failing to meet its obligations under s.23 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” the project proposal states.

Section 23 of the Charter protects minority language education rights.

“Alternatives to constructing a new school were not considered due to the context.

“The current school, École Émilie-Tremblay, does not have sufficient capacity to address the increasing enrolment.”

Last November, Marc Champagne, the CSFY’s executive director, told the Star the projected occupancy of the new school is 200 students.

Its Riverdale site was selected by the CSFY in 2016.

“After an extensive review of the possible site options, the new Government of Yukon agreed this site was the most viable location,” the proposal reads.

“It offers significant savings in projected construction costs for required site work, and the new school would be able to use existing infrastructure.”

The project hit a snag last summer during the demolition of the old F.H. Collins school, which had opened in 1963.

A leaky oil tank had contaminated the site. The unexpected discovery and subsequent remediation pushed back initial construction timelines.

Prior to the setback, Education Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee had slated the school for completion by the end of 2019.

After excavating, removing and/or treating thousands of cubic metres of soil and groundwater, the site remediation wrapped up last fall.

Subsequent monitoring determined there remains some hydrocarbon contamination in the site’s groundwater, according to a Jan. 2 document attached to the YESAB project.

“The physical extent of this contamination is not yet known,” it reads.

Once that’s determined, Environment Yukon’s Site Assessment and Remediation Unit will figure out how to manage the contamination. It could be treated, or it could be left to break down on its own.

“In order to ensure we mitigate any potential risk to students, teachers or other occupants of the buildings from hydrocarbon vapours, we will install a hydrocarbon-resistant geomembrane under the foundation system of the building.”

The YESAB deadline for public comment on the project is Feb. 12.

Champagne, the CFSY executive director, was not available for comment today.