Overcrowded classrooms, repurposed office space, and kindergartners sharing washrooms with 18-year-olds-- these are just some of the daily realities faced by students at École Notre-Dame des Vallées (EDV), Cochrane’s only Francophone school.
Built to accommodate Kindergarten through Grade 8, the school is now straining under the pressure of providing high school education in a facility never intended for that purpose.
With 214 students currently enroled and enrolment projected to surpass the school’s 240-student capacity by 2027–2028, FrancoSud, the regional Francophone school board, says a new solution is urgently needed.
“We need a room for mechanics, for example,” said Madame Mélissa Martel, Director of EDV. “These students also need good-sized gyms to receive sports in our school. Those are the kinds of things that we miss in the school to have the equivalent offering to high schools in the city.”
Since December 2023, FrancoSud has been working closely with the Town of Cochrane to identify a viable location for a dedicated Francophone secondary school. After considering three options—acquiring an unused school site, expanding EDV, or building a new school next to EDV-- the preferred proposal was to construct a new school on a 4.5-acre 'L'-shaped parcel at 136 Quigley Drive.
The new facility would be designed for 275 students, offering a modest but purpose-built high school environment.
“It won’t be a big high school like Cochrane High,” said Martel. “We’re a small family, and this new building will reflect that.”
However, public response to the proposed location has been mixed. After the plan was shared online, a Facebook post about the project received 89 comments, many expressing concerns over increased traffic and infrastructure strain.
“This is a high school,” one commenter wrote. “Kids need sports fields and parking. Bad idea.”
Another added: “More students equals more cars, especially in high school when they drive themselves.”
In response to the growing public concern, Cochrane town council voted unanimously to delay endorsement of the proposed site until after conducting a Non-Statutory Public Hearing, which has been scheduled for June 16, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. as part of Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting.
“They’re not against the school,” said Councillor Marni Fedeyko, who noted receiving feedback from over 25 residents. “They’re against how this process has come forward. I want those discussions with the biggest stakeholders this project affects, which are the people living within that area.”
Martel stressed that the proposal would not drastically increase local traffic or student volume.
“Residents may be concerned that it’s going to be a big high school with more people and more traffic, but it’s not like that,” she explained. “We have one kid who drives. We’re going to have the same six buses. It’s going to be the same kids—just in a different building.”
To help clarify the project and address community concerns, FrancoSud will host an information session on June 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the EDV gymnasium. Martel is encouraging all residents to attend and engage directly with school leadership.
“We hope people come on June 2,” she said. “We want to work together with everyone to have a smooth and easy project, and to have everybody feel good about what’s going on.”
