DSFM celebrating 30th anniversary and a new school

New school coming to DSFM Alain Laberge, superintendent of DSFM, discusses the new school opening in Sage Creek, and the division’s 30th anniversary.

The Division scolaire franco-manitobaine (DSFM) is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and amid the celebrations, the division has announced an expansion.

Alain Laberge, the superintendent for DSFM, said the anniversary is a “big milestone,” adding that he’s pleased with how the division has progressed over the years.

He added the division came to be due to the persistence of parents.

“Thirty years ago, many parents got together and they wanted to have their own governance, their own building, have their own schools, so they pushed and pushed,” he explained in an interview with CTV Morning Live on Monday.

“Here we are. We were created thanks to parents.”

Laberge said that Francophone education always existed, but it was hidden for a long time.

“Having a Francophone education in an English setting means nothing,” he said.

“You don’t live the culture. You can barely talk in your own language. Having our own schools meant that you could live through, not only your language, but the culture that comes with it.”

He said it’s important to preserve the Francophone language and culture, so that future generations can speak French and live the culture.

DSFM EXPANSION

With nearly 6,000 students belonging to the DSFM, the division is now expanding.

Last week, the Manitoba government announced that it’s issuing a tender for the construction of a French-language school in Winnipeg’s Sage Creek. Design work on the school will begin in April, with the school expected to open in September 2024.

“We’ve been growing steadily two per cent every year over the last 12-15 years,” Laberge said.

“We’re expanding in La Broquerie. We’re getting a new school in Brandon, getting a new school in the northeast part of Winnipeg, so we’re growing.”

Laberge added that some students who live in Winnipeg have to travel for an hour to be able to get a French education, so the addition of more schools means less travelling.

“There’s something [about] Francophone [education] that is important to people here, and we want to be able to continue growing, and having children being able to speak their own language,” he said.

- With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagace.