THUNDER BAY – Trent Baxter and Andy Beaver are happy to be at their new school.
The two are among the first students at the new Matawa Learning Centre, located in the former Grandview Lodge long-term care building that was granted by the city to be repurposed into a new Indigenous high school.
Classes officially began on Wednesday with about 70 students registered, though enrolment of more than 100 is expected by the end of next week as students arrive from their home communities.
Baxter, an 18-year-old from Eabametoong First Nation who is new to Matawa’s education programs, described it as “pretty perfect.”
“It’s different than an actual high school. You can actually talk to everybody. The teachers are pretty nice. Everyone seems to work together,” Baxter said on Thursday.
“I’m enjoying it. I really like it here and I can’t wait to see how much will come in the next month and this semester and next.”
Matawa Learning Centre principal Brad Battiston said a phased-in approach is being taken to overhaul the building, which will feature 70,000 square feet of educational space.
That’s a significant increase from the 4,000 square feet available at their former location, with some rooms in their new building larger than the entire previous space.
“For us it’s exciting,” Battiston said. “It allows us to serve our communities better and it allows opportunities for more students that might not necessarily have had them before or been able to access these services.”
Renovations to convert the building to suit educational needs have been undertaken, with a number of rooms nearing completion within the next few weeks. Construction is ongoing on a main floor wing that will include classrooms, science lab, learning kitchen, elders’ space and a cultural area.
A basement area is serving as classroom space in the meantime but will be home to a spacious art room, with an adjacent gallery viewing area, and weight room when that work is completed.
“Hands-on learning allows for the kids to get a feel for something. It allows them to see something happen in real-time and in real-life scenarios. Students relate better to something that’s in front of them that they can touch and work with and feel, as opposed to watching it on a screen,” Battiston said.
“We’re excited that we’ll be able to deliver actual, regular classes in a way that the students are accustomed to before coming to our program.”
Beaver, whose home community of Nibinamik First Nation is 500 kilometres away from Thunder Bay, is happy with what he’s seen thus far.
“It’s pretty exciting,” he said. “There are a lot of opportunities for students to come here and do a lot of things at the school.”
The longer-term vision includes on-site living accommodations for the students, which is targeted to be ready for September 2019. There are also plans for a gymnasium addition, as well as facilities for outdoor learning opportunities.
The nearby baseball diamonds, Delaney Arena and Royal Canadian Legion Track broaden the opportunities for students beyond the classroom space, Battison said.
“It’s not just school programming,” Battiston said. “It’s our after-hours recreational use and also our cultural programming. We can do a lot more on the property with seven acres of property. We can do a lot more land-based teachings on site.”
Arriving students have been made to feel at home in the neighbourhood by area residents, including one who put a welcoming sign on their fence.
“It’s a small gesture that has a lot of meaning behind it. We’re just grateful for everything that’s been happening and we look forward to building on those relationships in the future,” Battiston said.
