The new joint-use school that is being built in the Westheath Subdivision on South Hill will be moving forward. 

On Monday night, Moose Jaw City Council passed three bylaws that were needed in order for construction to begin. 

The bylaws would close streets and lanes created on paper in the 1970s and 80s, move the municipal reserve land from north of Wellington Drive where there is currently a hockey rink to the new school location in order to make room for lots, and rezone the Westheath Subdivision phases 5 and 6 to accommodate the developments.    

The location of the school remains controversial as the city was never consulted by the province or the school divisions. 

Moose Jaw resident and former Prairie South School Division trustee Jan Radwanski continued his push for more public consultation. He asked for a referendum or plebiscite on the location. 

“If we're going to build a school of this type in Moose Jaw, that's so large and is so well needed, apparently, we should ensure it goes according to our Official Community Plan next to our parks, next to our amenities in a nice safe place,” he said. 

City manager Jim Puffalt replied that a referendum or plebiscite would not be possible because the city does not have jurisdiction as to where schools are located. 

At the beginning of Monday night’s meeting, a clarification vote was needed for the Feb. 13 city council minutes. Because it didn’t follow the rule of order, the city councillors had to re-record their votes on the first and second readings of the bylaws to clarify the minutes. 

During that Feb. 13 meeting, holding the third reading was delayed because it was not a unanimous vote. 

Coun. Heather Eby was absent from the Feb. 13 meeting, but she voiced her support for the new school. 

“I'm not willing to have the South Hill children that I love continue going to schools that have bats and mice and unacceptable places for them to go to school every day,” she said. 

The third reading passed with councillors Dawn Luhning and Kim Robinson opposed.