Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers expands
The once empty hallways of a stately 1920s brick school building are now bustling with adults learning how to speak English.
The Edmonton Public School Board closed Eastwood School school in 2010, though it continues to own the building, leasing it to the groups like the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers.
The Mennonite centre renovated the space at 120th Avenue and 81st Street and recently moved into the main floor.
The 9,500-square-foot expansion includes six classrooms and two childcare rooms.
“We have almost doubled our program, from 300 available seats to 550,” says Jacqueline Scott, manager of language services.
Expansion driven by demand
This summer the waiting list for language programming ballooned to more than 400. Now with the new space, that list shrank to 140.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada funded the $250,000 expansion which will be celebrated this spring with a grand opening.
To see more watch this week’s edition of Our Edmonton, our weekly magazine show which airs Saturday at 10 a.m. Sunday at 11 a.m. and Monday at 1 p.m. on CBC TV.
