Four new schools ready to open doors

CALGARY HERALD AUGUST 14, 2012

Alex Frazer-Harrison

For Back to School

It’s not every day you get to be part of history in the making, but in a few weeks students and staff at four brand-new public schools will be doing just that.

Nose Creek School in Coventry Hills will soon open to 455 students in grades 4 to 8, allowing kids who previously had to be bused to Colonel Macleod school way down on 16th Avenue N.E. a chance to learn and play in their own neighbourhood.

“This has been a labour of love, and an opportunity that seldom comes along in a career,” says incoming principal Carol A. Hall, who comes to the new school from Colonel Macleod, so she won’t be a stranger to many of the kids.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to build something from the ground up.”

The school was constructed, like the other new schools built for the Calgary Board of Education this year, under a P3 (public-private partnership) initiative. Hall says all four schools use the same basic two-storey “batwing” design, with a core school connected to wings of modular classrooms, adding her school is set up to ultimately accommodate 800 students.

Although classes have yet to start, future Nose Creek students have already been involved in establishing new traditions, including picking the sports team name (Kodiaks). “The student voice will be a huge part of what we do here,” says Hall.

Hall says the school will incorporate up-to-date technology, such as smartboards, and the Learning Commons (formerly called the library) will feature innovations such as a Wall Talker — a whiteboard students can use to plan projects — and a 55-inch flat screen connected to a Mac Mini that will allow students to share projects from their iPads using AirServer.

Hall says the new schools have also partnered with Alberta College of Art + Design to base artists at the schools for several months.

Nose Creek is one of four new public schools opening this fall. The others — like Nose Creek, also middle schools in the north part of Calgary — are Captain Nichola Goddard School (grades 4-9) in Panorama Hills, Twelve Mile Coulee School (4-9) in Tuscany, and Ted Harrison School (5-9) in Taradale.

The only new school under construction is Robert Thirsk High School, a 10-12 in Arbour Lake set to open during the 2013-2014 school year. The CBE also has modernization projects underway at Western Canada and Lord Shaughnessy high schools.

Calgary ranked as fifth most liveable city in the     world amid strong showing for Canada

Three Canadian cities have again cracked the top five on a ranking of the world’s most liveable places.

In the latest report from the Economist Intelligence Unit released Tuesday, Vancouver ranked third, followed by Toronto and Calgary in fourth and fifth respectively.

The Canadian cities were bested only by Vienna in second and Melbourne, which topped The Economist’s Liveability Ranking.

The annual survey of 140 cities uses more than 30 factors to gauge the state of healthcare, education, infrastructure, stability, culture and environment — rendering a score out of 100.

Vancouver lost marks only for petty crime rates, availability of quality housing and congested road networks, with report authors citing a series of infrastructure projects such as the new Evergreen transit line “that will no doubt have a long-term benefit, but in the short-term they can be disruptive.”

Toronto received a “Tolerable” rating (as opposed to Acceptable) for roads, public transit and housing while Calgary waned in temperature ratings.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi mused that his city’s spot on the ranking proves a “thriving business community, and a vibrant cultural scene that is attracting people from around the world” ­— echoing comments from Stephen Harper’s speech at the Stampede last month when the Prime Minister declared the Alberta metropolis as the greatest city in Canada.

The only other Canadian city to make the Economist list was Montreal in the 16th position.

Australia was the only country to outperform Canada, posting four cities in the top 10. The authors say the trend among the most liveable cities shows a preference for “mid-sized cities in wealthier countries with a relatively low population density.” Canada’s density is 3.40 people per square kilometre, while Australia’s is 2.88.

The results vary little from the last ranking released six months ago, with Vancouver maintaining the third spot after slipping from first place in 2011.

Most of the top-tier countries are separated by fractions of a percentage — the first-ranked Melbourne is scored 97.5, only 1.8 points higher than 10th-place Auckland, N.Z. The Economist Information Unit uses the ranking to provide suggestions on how businesses should compensate employees working abroad in cities “where living conditions are particularly difficult.”

It’s one of several studies of its kind, but economic development experts in the listed Canadian cities say The Economist report’s catering to business communities could lead to tangible benefits.

“It’s certainly circulated to an audience of potential investors and investors that may be interested in relocating to our city,” said Randy McLean, a strategy director at the City of Toronto, adding good scores in categories like education will help attract top management talent and their families.

“Certainly it’s encouraging,” he said.

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Jake Edmiston | Aug 15, 2012 12:42 AM ET | Last Updated: Aug 15, 2012 12:06 PM ET