Official plans were announced last night at City Council for the Weyburn Recreation and Culture Centre. With construction set to commence this spring at a projected budget of 25 million dollars, some may be wondering how the new elementary school fits in with the City’s plans.

“When we look at this facility, it’s a partnership with the [Southeast] Cornerstone School Division,” said City Manager Matthew Warren.

He said while the school division is building the new 700-student elementary school, the City is building the new facility for which plans were released at the January 28th meeting. There will be some common areas, and there are a number of benefits in having some shared spaces, but the WRCC will be completely owned and operated by the City of Weyburn.

“What I mean by that is that we’re constructing it, we can maintain that facility, we operate it, we take all the rentals,” he explained. “Everything comes directly to through the City. So if someone wants to book that venue, they come through the City. They do not go through the school.”

He added that while the City did contribute to the development of the Cugnet Centre, that facility is owned and operated by the school division.

“This is the exact opposite that way, where we own and operate the facility,” he clarified.

The City of Weyburn shared design plans at Monday's City Council meeting, clearly showing the City of Weyburn's facility plans and how they relate to the SECPSD's new super elementary school. The small section closest to 5th Street is where the daycare will be located (photo by Marna McManus).

“We’re trying to make sure that it’s a collaborative facility, but we have distinctive uses as well for both of our spaces,” he said.

A daycare is also included in the plans, at the northernmost end of the conglomerate facility.

“You have an elementary school, you have a daycare, shared spaces, which is the kitchen and the washroom and a common hallway, and then you have the recreational culture centre and the outdoor rink right in the back of the facility,” said Warren.

The new outdoor rink at Jubilee Park will have access from outside to two of the change rooms. The rink will also be concrete for all-season use and will even include basketball nets.

“What we’re trying to do with the project, with the school and the city, is to make a joint use and shared use spaces to make sure we can maximize the opportunity to partner, with the larger facility, and to also make sure it’s a multi-use, multi-generational facility,” he said.

Shared spaces will indeed maximize use for the completely accessible, multi-purpose facility.

“Shared public washrooms, a shared kitchen space, shared community commons area, access for the school if they want to have recesses into our soccer field, and then shared use for the public all in all for both facilities,” he added.

While the WRCC and the WES will share some common areas, the two will be distinctly different facilities run by two separate governing agencies.

Get more details and watch a video HERE, which the City of Weyburn posted to show what the facility will look and feel like once construction is complete.

The estimated official opening is scheduled for September of 2021.

This plan shows the layout on the lot of the former Weyburn Junior High School, adjacent to the Weyburn Leisure Centre and Jubilee Park and future home of the Weyburn Elementary School and the Weyburn Recreation and Culture Centre (photo by Marna McManus)

View the City's WRCC page HERE.