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Penhold mayor predicts a productive 2025

Penhold Waskasoo Middle School expected to open in fall 2025
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A sod-turning ceremony was held for the new Penhold Waskasoo Middle School in 2024. The school is expected to open in fall 2025. (Advocate file photo)

A new middle school will provide a boost to the Town of Penhold when it opens in fall 2025, says Mayor Mike Yargeau.

Construction began on Penhold Waskasoo Middle School, located just south of the town's Multiplex, in early 2024. This school will be part of Chinook's Edge School Division and will have 550 spaces when it opens. It is designed to expand to about 725 students — staff, students, the community and parents all had input into the design.

"It's a large school that's going to help with our growing community," Yargeau said on Friday, Jan, 3.

"Our schools right now, especially for students between kindergarten and Grade 6, are overflowing — we have so many young kids in this community. This new school will be a great place for kids in Grades 4 to 8. It'll help us grow and it's a great addition to the multiplex area."

Last year also saw the completion of a major roundabout located at the Highway 2A and Highway 42 intersection, through Alberta Transportation.

"It's made a big difference already. Historically, that's been one of the more dangerous intersections in our community. The roundabout is really going to help out," Yargeau said.

On the whole, "2024 was a great year" for the Town of Penhold, said Yargeau.

"We're almost done our community hub area. We got ready to break ground on our new public works and fire hall building. It was a really busy year full of a lot of positive things for Penhold," he said.

Construction on the new public works and fire hall building is targeted to begin this spring.

"We've also got a few more projects to complete around the community hub. Hopefully that's going to lead to some more outdoor events that we're working on that we're looking to announce soon," he said.

"It's going to be a busy 2025 in that area."

Yargeau said these projects wouldn't be possible without support from the community.

"I'm really fortunate in Penhold. We have a great community, and a really good council and staff. With a lot of the good things that happen in Penhold, I get to be the fortunate one who gets credit. But it's really a group effort and I'm thankful to have such a great team."



Sean McIntosh

About the Author: Sean McIntosh

Sean joined the Red Deer Advocate team in the summer of 2017. Originally from Ontario, he worked in a small town of 2,000 in Saskatchewan for seven months before coming to Central Alberta.
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