Manitoba Scraps Private-Sector School Construction Plan

The NDP government halts the previous administration's P3 school project, opting for traditional funding methods instead.

The Manitoba NDP government has canceled a plan by the former Progressive Conservative government to build nine schools using a public-private partnership (P3) model.
Acting Education Minister Tracy Schmidt stated that the previous plan lacked allocated funds and that the government is committed to finding alternative methods to construct schools.
The P3 model proposed by the Tories involved hiring a private contractor for design, construction, and maintenance, with a 30-year funding agreement.
The decision to halt the project has drawn criticism from the Conservative opposition, who argue that it delays necessary school infrastructure in growing communities.
The NDP prefers a traditional funding model, where the government directly funds construction and amortizes costs over time, and is conducting a space utilization study to assess school needs.