Moncton High School - Move To Royal Oaks

Move To Royal Oaks

In spite of pre-existing consultations, recommendation by the DEC and general public approval of the O'Shaughnessy Report, Minister of Education Jody Carr announced in February 2011 that a new school would be built in a new location. Department of Supply and Services Minister Claude Williams announced during the same month that demolition preserving the auditorium and tower, would alone cost $10 million. Nevertheless, Williams added the "MHS building would be preserved for future generations." On July 5, 2011, Education Minister Jody Carr announced that a new Moncton High School would be built on the Royal Oaks site. The Province did not own a new site at that time and on December 19, 2011 it purchased land belonging to The Royal Oaks subdivision for approximately 1.5$ million. The purchase agreement contains several conditions that have been blackened out from public view although they would probably account for services and conditions required from Province and Royal Oaks necessary to carry the project through.

Part of the opposition to the new school was based on the fact that the chosen location in Royal Oaks was beyond the city's serviceable boundary line, approximately 8km north of its current location although in a well wooded area on the edge of city limits. Technically, no new construction would be serviced in that area, which would have to include new roads, sewers, and water lines in order to service the displaced school. For this last reason, Rompsen applied to Moncton City Council on January 16, 2012, to have the serviceable boundary extended so as to include the newly purchased Crown land but also to change the zoning of the site from "Rural Residential" to "Integrated Development". However, due to community opposition, Rompsen withdrew its application. Moncton City Council later passed a resolution on March 19, 2012 unanimously opposing the move, re-iterating its support of the O'Shaughnessy Report.

However, City Council did not follow through with its opposition to the move. Moncton's City Manager announced earlier on December 22, 2011 that rather than fight the move, the City intended to work toward an agreement with Royal Oaks subdivision and the Province. In addition, withdrawing the rezoning application did not affect the move because the s. 96 of the Community Planning Act exempts the Province from zoning bylaws and regulations: the rezoning application was only presented as a as a token gesture by Rompsen. As a result, the newly proposed school would go ahead with or without City approval. Accepting this interpretation of the Community Planning Act, Moncton City Council accepted on June 25, 2012 the Province's $12.8 million offer to cover part of the infrastructure costs for the new high school. The total infrastructure costs for the City would amount to $30 million because of the need to construct new roads, sewers and water lines to service the new location. Notably, these commitments to cover the schools infrastructure costs, necessary for the move to the new location, were deemed legal by the City even though they go against City of Moncton policy.