By Madeline Kerr and Trevor Greenway

The Low Down has obtained an email from the French school service centre that appears to contradict information from Chelsea Mayor Pierre Guénard on whether or not the municipality has a choice in where to build a new French-language elementary school slated for 2026. 

In an email to Chelsea Foundation vice president Rick Traer on March 4, Centre de services scolaire des Portages-de-l’Outaouais (CSSPO) director-general Stéphane Lacasse appears to suggest that Chelsea did have a choice in the location. 

“While we understand that you do not agree with the land that the municipality of Chelsea offered to the CSSPO, under section 272.10 of the Education Act, it is up to the municipality to decide which property it will transfer in the area identified in the CSSPO’s space requirements,” stated Lacasse in the email, which was translated from the original French wording. “For this reason, we refer you to the [municipality] of Chelsea if you feel that it has erred in its choice.”

Guenard maintains that the municipality has no choice in where the school will go. A council meeting was held Tuesday night, before press time for the print edition. Stay tuned to our website for more updates as this story unfolds.