Quebec cancels $375 million F.A.C.E school renovation amid rising costs

F.A.C.E School in downtown Montreal will no longer undergo a planned $375-million renovation after the Quebec Ministry of Education decided to revise the project due to rising costs

The Quebec Ministry of Education has decided to scrap the planned renovation of F.A.C.E School in downtown Montreal.

As first reported by Le Devoir, the project’s estimated cost ballooned to $375 million following a cost assessment conducted by the ministry.

In a joint statement from the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) and the Centre de services scolaire de Montreal (CSSDM), directors Stéphane Abran and Jennifer Harriet wrote that due to the budgetary context and “in the interests of sound management of public funds,” the F.A.C.E. rehabilitations would be put on hold for good.

“Ministerial authorities have also announced that the funding required to resume work on F.A.C.E. high school (4251 rue Saint-Urbain) will be granted to the Centre de services scolaires de Montréal (CSSDM),” they wrote.

The statement says that the F.A.C.E. (Formation Artistique au Cœur de l’Éducation / Fine-Arts Core Education) fine arts-based educational program will continue in two renovated schools.

“In addition, maintenance work on our school’s main building will continue as planned, as long as our school community is present in the building,” the statement continues.

The school service centre will hold an information meeting on Tuesday.

Ahead of that meeting, a group of parents and students gathered in front of the school to protest on Monday.

“A big part of what makes F.A.C.E is that we’re all together from primary to secondary, and also that English and French together,” said secondary 4 student August LeFrancois.

Two schools, École Christophe Colomb, an elementary school and École Saint-Urbain, a high school, which are currently being renovated will permanently accommodate F.A.C.E students in 2025 and 2032 respectively. The cost of renovating both schools is slightly over $200 million.

But Mallika Malan, whose kids attend F.A.C.E, says the location is part of the school.

“This is a central location, by moving it to the Plateau you’re kind of making it inaccessible for everybody that lives in NDG, Verdun and Point St-Charles,” she said.

“It’s also part of the social fabric that is here to have these different models that interact together. You have friends everywhere. You have people from different social backgrounds and classes.”

In a statement, the Ministry of Education said that it will provide students with modern and up-to-date facilities so that F.A.C.E’s special program can continue, adding that it was a “priority.”

“However, in the light of the new evaluations of the project that have been carried out, we must also ensure that we respect public funds. That’s why we’re reviewing the scope of the project, without any impact on student learning,” the ministry said.

Liberal MNA Jennifer Maccarone represents the school’s riding and, after consulting with parents, will present a petition in the National Assembly in May.

“Downtown Montreal has literally no public schools other than F.A.C.E, which is a particular project, which is a destination school,” she said.

“It’s a beautiful project. You’ve got a francophone and an anglophone school board that are married together.”

F.A.C.E is administered by the CSSDM and the EMSB.

“We will be working with the CSSDM, which is the project leader, to ensure the best possible transition,” the ministry continued.

With files from Denise Roberts