Committee struck between Yukon francophone school board, territorial gov't

The Yukon's francophone school board and territorial government are creating a committee to settle long-standing issues between the two groups, including helping to manage the construction of a new Francophone secondary school in Whitehorse, which has long been the board's top priority.

"We are beyond capacity," says francophone school board trustee Ludovic Gouaillier. "The situation is beyond urgent at this point. We need to find a home, not only for the students when the school is built, which is down the road right some time, but also right now, in the interim.

"That's the immediate focus of the committee." 

Education Minister Doug Graham says the committee will help resolve issues surrounding the development and delivery of Francophone education in the Yukon, adding that the government will build the new school.

"We made a commitment that we're going to build that new school," says Graham. "We're going to build it as quickly as we can, but we also know that there are some impediments to that."

According to Graham, money will be allocated this fall to begin the planning process, followed by additional funding for the project in the 2016/17 budget. A date for the start of construction will be determined later in the planning process.

The new committee is expected to meet in September.