PEIWork on the new Évangéline Education Centre will take place on the grounds of the old school, which was set to get renovations before being heavily damaged in post-tropical storm Fiona back in 2022.Provincial government says it’s aiming at a completion date in the winter of 2027-28Ryan McKellop · CBC News · Posted: Aug 20, 2025 6:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoExcitement building as work set to begin on new École Évangéline in western P.E.I.Construction is about to begin on the new French-language school in Abrams Village, P.E.I. École Évangéline took a beating during post-tropical storm Fiona, and the roof was badly damaged. Eventually, the province made the call to build a new school to help meet the needs of the area’s growing population. CBC’s Connor Lamont reports. Construction is set to begin soon on the new Évangéline Education Centre in Abrams Village in western Prince Edward Island. The new school will rise on the grounds of the old École Évangéline, which was set to undergo renovations before being heavily damaged in post-tropical storm Fiona three years ago.The changed circumstances led the provincial government to change tack and build a whole new school.The former school served students from kindergarten through Grade 12, but the new centre is being designed with the growing community in mind.It will be able to accommodate 225 school-aged students, 56 pre-school children in the early years centre, and 15 students attending before- and after-school programs. There will also be a library and an Acadian and francophone arts and culture centre, as well as office space for the province’s French-language school board.This new building will also be a fully net-zero ready school, similar to other recent school projects in Charlottetown.Gilles Arsenault, the MLA for Évangéline-Miscouche, used to work at École Évangéline as its principal. He says having a connection to this project has been rewarding for him. (Connor Lamont/CBC)Gilles Arsenault, the MLA for Évangéline-Miscouche, worked at the school long before entering the realm of politics.”I am very excited,” he said Wednesday. “This is a project that I had started when I was actually principal of this school, and then I moved on as a superintendent, and wanted to see this come to reality.”Now, being able to move help out as a politician is very rewarding.”Arsenault said the construction will mean a lot for the community.”We were the first French-language school in Prince Edward Island and I think that [it’s] time for a renewed model and… this school will be housing more than the school,” he said.”It’s a community centre, it’s a day care as well, it’s a public library, the offices spaces for the school board. So it’s very important for the community.”‘Pillar for the community’That sentiment was echoed by the minister of transportation and infrastructure, Ernie Hudson.”From my perspective, it’s extremely significant, extremely important. You look at the, you know, uniqueness of the Acadian culture here right across the Island, but certainly in this area.Provincial Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Ernie Hudson says this building will be a pillar for the community, not just a school. (Connor Lamont/CBC)”It’s going to be a real pillar for the community.”But Hudson said students will be the first priority.”From the students’ perspective, it’s going to be a major improvement, it’s going to be a major development.”According to the province’s website, the anticipated completion date is winter 2027-28. The expected cost is approximately $54.3 million.ABOUT THE AUTHORRyan McKellop is a graduate of the Holland College Journalism program and a web writer at CBC P.E.I.With files from Connor Lamont
Construction set to begin soon on École Évangéline replacement in Abrams Village
