HISTORY

1981: Establishement of Le Comité Rév. S.E. Perrey to later become Le conseil Rév.S.-É.-Perrey inc.

1989: A petition is  distributed by the SSTA for a french school. The idea is not popular.

1989: La Fédération de parents de l'Î.-P.-É. offers money for the Acadian regions to hire  agents to see if there is an interest to open preschool classes. Madame Anita Perry is hired and after a series of kitchen meetings, preschool classes starts at the Club Ti-Pa in Tignish and in St.Louis, one day a week. These classes were continued untill 1995. Groups of 20 and 40 children participated.

1996: A sub-committee is formed in West Prince to seriously study the possibility of obtaining a french school and community center in West Prince. A partnership  between le Comité pour l'éducation à Prince-Ouest, La Fédération des Parents de l'Î.-P.-É. are strenghten and la Commission Scolaire de langue française is approched. A study (questionnaire) is performed by Landall Firm, Moncton.

1997: Results of a study produced by the Landall firm of Moncton for the F.P.Î.P.É.. The results of 205 quesitonnaires received are stricking. The community is ready for such a project.

-The Committee hires a coordinator to meet the parents of preschool age especially.

1998: The Centre l'Arc-en-ciel preschool opens it's door with 27 registrations in Madame Gloria Ellsworth renovated garage. Lots of contreversy in the community is felt when a kindergarten program is about to started. A lot of work is done at the governments levels.

1999: the community requests a facility from the French School Board

2000: January- The Supreme Court of Canada gives the ruling that will change french education accross the country, the right to french education.

 April- The first kindergarden class graduates (6) and the parents request  a French first language program.

 2001:    September - The CSLF strongly supports in the project and the mobiles are renovated during the summer. 6 students start in a  French First Language Education Program. Three year pilot project.

2001: September - The preschool, pre-kindergarden and kindergarden offers programs to 30 little ones. Daycare services available, very popular. The prescholl is also in the mobiles; the Centre scolaire-communautaire de Prince-Ouest

2001: 17 school students and 28 preschool are registered. Space is very limited at the preschool level.

2002: -September registrations: 32 students and 30 preschool.

* After lots of lobbying the province annonces Permanency of french education in West Prince. A good party of the work is gained.

2003: - September registrations: 43 students and 27 preschool. Two mobiles are added.

2004: - September registrations: 50 students and 34 preschool. Two more mobiles are added. Still, spaces is very limited. The community adds pressure to obtain a new facility.

* A planning committee is put together by the province to study availibility of existant structures. The community and local members of the committee refuse proposed sites, and recommends a new construction.

2005: - September registrations: 58 students and 34 preschool.

* Work conditions in the 8 mobiles are not healthy; poor air quality and very limited space. (113 persons including staff)

18 February: The province announces that a new facility will be built as soon as possible, aiming to open in 2006. Looking at a few locations.

* Parents wish to move just accross the road. Negociations had to take place. The community had to contribute a great amount of fundraising and pay for part of the land in order for the new centre to be build on DeBlois Rd.

2006: May: Work on land begins

June: Plans for the new construction are made public at the Rodd Mill River Resort. Almost 200 people are presents and the plans are welcomed with a standing ovation.

December: construction is done exept for a few details. The mobiles are emptied during the Holidays 2006

2007: Work teams both on school and community side finish last details on January 2nd.

January 3rd: The new french Centre scolaire-communautaire de Prince-Ouest opens it's door with a school for grades 1 to 12 a preschool Centre, the offices of Le Conseil Rév. S.-É.-Perrey inc Indeed a memorable day in the history of the Acadians of West Prince, Prince Edward Island.