Province announces new school at former WorkSafe rehab centre
The province of New Brunswick has officially begun the process of turning a former WorkSafeNB building into a K-5 school in Grand Bay-Westfield.
Also known as the former WorkSafeNB Rehabilitation Centre, the facility at 3700 Westfield Rd. is expected to replace Grand Bay Primary School, built in 1947, and Inglewood School, which was built in 1960.
In a news release, the province said the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure will begin a structural analysis to determine the work and funds needed to retrofit the building. The province has not shared an expected timeline.
The news release said only parts of the building will be used as a school, and the rest will have other uses the province has not determined yet.
In a statement, Grand Bay-Westfield Mayor Brittany Merrifield said this is good news.
"The new K-5 school for our community has been a priority for the Town and a critical focus of the work this Council has done," the statement said.
The rehabilitation centre, intended for people with complex injuries requiring weeks of treatment, was shuttered last spring. Services were decentralized during COVID-19 and workers continue to get treatment in their own communities, WorkSafeNB has said.
The province said the property was transferred to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure last December.
