Case Study: St Frances Cree Bilingual School 

Introduction and Context

In this case study, we share how ISL, a leading engineering and consulting firm, worked with Kindrachuk Agrey Architecture and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools to deliver an empowering place of learning that meets the needs of the community.

St. Frances Cree Bilingual School plays a crucial role in preserving and revitalizing the Cree language and culture. By offering bilingual education in Cree and English, the school supports students in maintaining a strong connection to their Indigenous heritage, fostering cultural pride and identity. This integration of cultural practices, traditions, and values into the curriculum not only benefits the students academically but also strengthens a sense of belonging to their community.

St. Frances provides a tailored curriculum that meets the unique needs of Cree students, ensuring that the educational content is both relevant and effective. This approach not only supports the students’ overall educational growth but also prepares them to succeed in a diverse and multicultural society.

Community engagement is another cornerstone of St. Frances Cree Bilingual School’s impact. By actively involving parents and community members in its programs and activities, the school fosters strong relationships and creates a supportive learning environment. This level of engagement helps to build a cohesive community where students feel supported both inside and outside the classroom. St. Frances serves as a model for other schools, demonstrating the benefits of incorporating Indigenous languages and cultures directly into the education system. 

The social and emotional well-being of students is a priority at St. Frances. By providing an inclusive and culturally sensitive learning environment, the school enhances students’ social and emotional development, empowering them to succeed academically and personally. The education at St. Frances not only addresses educational inequities faced by Indigenous students but also bridges the gap between traditional Indigenous knowledge and mainstream education, ensuring that students receive a high-quality education that respects and honours their cultural heritage. 

• Create an environment that promotes a safe space for Nation focused learnings and modern skills. 

• Design a school that would allow for a compressed construction schedule. 

• Develop a structure that responds to the complex geometries inspired by Indigenous culture and teachings. 

In this case study, we will demonstrate how ISL overcame these challenges and contributed to a successful and impactful project that aligns with our values of honesty, trustworthiness, locdal impact, responsibility, and caring for the environment. 

Background and Collaboration

ISL has been working with First Nations in Saskatchewan, local school boards, and architects, providing engineering services for various infrastructure and development projects. ISL has established a strong and trusting relationship with these partners, based on mutual respect, understanding, and communication. 

The project involves the construction of an elementary school designed to house the bilingual Cree school program, which was developed by the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools division to promote and preserve Indigenous language and culture. The school’s design includes traditional Indigenous science labs, a greenhouse for traditional plants and medicines, and equipment for skinning and tanning hides, ensuring that cultural practices are integral to the school’s curriculum.  

The project sought significant input from the Indigenous community was, with an Indigenous liaison facilitating input from Elders and community groups. This was to create a school design different from traditional schools, using organic shapes and geometries that step away from past institutional designs tied to the sensitivities and hard memories associated with the residential school system. ISL’s Structural team responded to the concepts and challenges by increasing the collaborative efforts with the architect and owner to ensure that the design concepts could be achieved in an efficient and effective manner. 

Project Implementation

Key project challenges included designing to a tight budget and managing expectations. The complex form and geometry required high attention to detail, extensive BIM modelling, and creative engineering solutions. Despite these challenges, the project is near completion and is seen as a testament to the community’s resilience and commitment to preserving and revitalizing Cree culture and language, serving as a beacon of reconciliation in Saskatoon and beyond.  

Throughout the project, ISL learned a great deal from Elders, project interest holders, and other team members. We maintained regular and transparent communication with the project team on design and construction progress, technical challenges and potential solutions. ISL also adhered to the tight timeline of the project and delivered the project on schedule with the structural construction scope taking place on budget and ahead of schedule. 

Outcomes and Impacts

The key outcomes of the project included the construction of a unique three-story elementary school, which was a design not seen in Saskatoon for about 90 years. The design maximized outdoor space on the site and featured the use of precast concrete exterior wall panels segmented to achieve the curvilinear form. This was a novel approach and this first of its kind at this scale in the province. The solution allowed for an efficient construction schedule, getting both the structure and building enclose erected quickly and permitting new interior work fronts to be opened during the cold Saskatchewan winters.

For the Indigenous community, the school represented a significant step in rebuilding and preserving their culture and language, serving as a beacon of reconciliation in Saskatoon and potentially beyond. The project also proved to be an important one for ISL in terms of building Indigenous relationships and proving we were a good partner for Nations, considering the complexity of the project.

Lessons Learned and Improvement

Early collaboration with key trades and suppliers allowed for successful application of the precast system and ensured that schedule advantages were achieved. The project team quickly came together to workshop concepts and determine systems and compromises that would develop the best value and optimize the project.