Soil Stability Concerns Delay Construction of Two West Edmonton Schools

As of September 10, 2025, construction on two new public schools in west Edmonton has been delayed due to soil stability issues identified by the province. The Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB) had previously received approval and funding from the Alberta government in 2023 to build a K-9 school in Edgemont and a K-6 school in Rosenthal.

However, after Alberta Infrastructure conducted testing on the sites earlier this year, it was determined that the ground was not stable enough to begin construction as planned. The Edgemont school, which was originally slated to open in September 2027, now has an undetermined completion date. Meanwhile, the Rosenthal school's timeline has been pushed back by up to 18 months, with ground improvement work now expected to start in spring 2026.

The geotechnical testing found challenges related to underlying clay soils and potential drainage issues at the Edgemont site. At the Rosenthal location, several meters of fill will need to be placed before construction can commence. EPSB's chief infrastructure officer acknowledged that the accelerated approval process through the province's new School Construction Accelerator Program may have contributed to the lack of initial soil testing.

Despite the delays, EPSB board chair Julie Kusiek emphasized the critical need for these new schools to ease overcrowding at existing facilities. The school division is projecting over 125,000 students this year, a 5,000-student increase from the previous year. The Rosenthal and Edgemont schools were expected to accommodate 650 and 950 students, respectively.