Holy Spirit to get badly needed gym floor replacement

By Chris Lewis | Feb. 4, 2021

Students at Holy Spirit High School in Manuels can look forward to a new gymnasium floor in the future.

Principal Dave Locke said the federal and provincial funding for the work, which was announced last month, will make for welcome improvements.

Locke said the gym floor is in rough shape, and the upgrades will go a long way for a room that gets near constant use on a daily basis.

The school had been talking with the English School District for some time trying to get the floor replaced.

The new floor will most likely be hardwood, similar to the floors at Mount Pearl Senior High and Holy Heart of Mary.

Locke has been at Holy Spirit for some eight years, and said the floor has been in need of repairs for much of that time, which is why it has always been on the wish list of capital works projects.

“With this funding, I guess we moved to the top of that list,” Locke said. “Thankfully we did, because of course safety of the students is always a concern … We have some spots (on the floor) that are dipped down and it was a tripping hazard. It’s getting to the point now where something had to happen.”

Now that the work has gone to tender, it comes down to a waiting game for a contractor to be selected and construction to start. Locke hopes to see it completed sooner rather than later.

“We have 888 kids, so it’s nonstop in there,” Locke said. “Basically, (the gym) is being used all the time. With COVID-19 restrictions, it’s not used as much in the evenings, but normally it’s full tilt.”

The funding for the job is being split between the federal government, which is covering $200,000 of the cost, with the other $50,000 coming from the province.

“This is a great thing for the kids and the school,” Locke said.