New Halifax elementary school to open to students later this month

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

A new elementary school is set to open in the north end later this month after lengthy delays.

The province says major construction on the new St. Joseph’s-Alexander McKay (SJAM) building finished up on Monday, Feb. 2, and the keys were handed over to the Halifax Regional Centre for Education.

The new school is built on the site of the old SJAM, which was demolished in 2022. Students from the school on Russell Street had been attending Ecole Beaufort in the south end since 2021.

Those students will be back at SJAM beginning on February 18.

“The entire SJAM community has been eagerly awaiting this moment,” said principal Cheyanne Gorman-Tolliver. “We’re so excited to finally welcome students and staff to our beautiful new school. This isn’t just a building – it’s a hub of learning and connection for our community.”

Government says the new, modern school building will include a 58-space childcare centre that will be operated by a third party. That centre is expected to open in the coming months.