For years, the Lester B. Pearson school board has been trying to get a new school built in the off-island suburbs west of Montreal.
Forest Hill Junior in St. Lazare is full to overflowing, as is Pierre Elliot Trudeau school in Vaudreuil.
Some students living anywhere from Ile Perrot to Vaudreuil have to get on a bus and travel to Mount Pleasant in Hudson.
A major challenge to a new location has been finding the right piece of land.
After ruling out a number of locations, including two in Vaudreuil-Dorion, and another that was too close to power lines and a busy street, the board has settled on a property in St. Lazare.
The location has been re-zoned for development, engineers have given the project a green light, and the school board hopes city council will award it the final stamp of approval soon.
Residents who live where the school will likely be built are not very happy about the notion.
Jennifer Blinn and her family never imagined the land next to their house would be developed.
"I know St. Lazare needs another school but I don't really want it in my backyard," said Blinn.
She was told the property at the end of her street "was zoned green space because it's too wet and there's special frogs, it's supposed to be zoned nature."
Board Chair Marcus Tabachnick understands the reluctance of residents.
"The fact is there are a lot of children living out there, they need a school and this is a good site," said Tabachnick.
If all goes according to plan, construction will start this fall, and the new 450-student, $8.4 million building should be ready for September 2011.
