Construction underway on Yuill School of Agriculture outside Medicine Hat to train future workforce

Construction officially started on June 16, following months of design and tendering work behind the scenes.

Contractors expect foundation walls to be completed within days, weather permitting, before work shifts to underground services, slab preparation and structural framing.

Mark Neubauer, who designed the project and is overseeing construction, said preparation completed last fall helped position the project for an efficient start.

“The contractors started the project year very organized, that’s why they were able to start ahead of schedule,” Neubauer said.

Nicole Neubauer, Prairie Rose Public Schools’ director of agricultural education, said seeing construction begin is the culmination of years of planning.

“This project has been over two and a half years in the making, so a lot of things happening in the dreaming and scheming stage,” Neubauer said.

“To see it come to fruition with the actual building site, the mobilization of the contractors, the trenching that’s going on, we now can actually realize the size, the footprint of the building, and to see it all come together is beyond exciting for us.”

The main school building is expected to cost about $4.3 million, while the broader campus and supporting infrastructure are projected to exceed $6 million.

Funding has come from several sources, including approximately $1.9 million from Alberta Education, a land donation valued at about $1.3 million from the Yuill Family Foundation, an additional $600,000 from the foundation and roughly $650,000 raised through the sale of naming rights for classrooms and laboratory spaces.

Neubauer said the facility will provide students with hands-on learning opportunities in areas such as crop production, horticulture, animal science, agricultural technology and heavy equipment operation while helping address anticipated labour shortages in the agriculture sector.

“What we’re doing is we’re giving kids opportunities to develop pathways into an industry that needs them,” Neubauer said.

Neubauer said the school will allow students to earn up to 30 to 35 Career and Technology Studies credits through agriculture-focused programming while exploring careers they may not otherwise encounter.

Agriculture remains a major economic driver in southeastern Alberta, according to Neubauer, with the project intended to help build the region’s future workforce.

The next major milestone for the project will be the Raise the Roof: To Grow the Future Gala on Aug. 8 at South Alberta Collegiate.

“We’re hosting it at the South Alberta Collegiate, and really, what it will be is a huge celebration of the community investment and to help build the excitement of what’s to come,” Neubauer said.

The event will recognize donors who have purchased naming rights for classrooms and laboratory spaces and will feature a five-course locally sourced meal.

Organizers say the gala will celebrate community support for the project while helping raise awareness and funding for future phases of development, including livestock facilities, greenhouses and additional agricultural infrastructure.

by Jett Schwaier

Construction underway on Yuill School of Agriculture outside Medicine Hat to train future workforce

Our Community