Indigenous high school students take case for new Thunder Bay school, living centre to Ottawa

A group of students from Dennis Franklin CromartyHigh School in Thunder Bay, Ont., brought their request for a new school and living centre directly to Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpotton Monday at a meeting in Ottawa.

"I wanted to tell her that the students of DFC should deserve a better living environment besides staying at boarding homes and having to travel across the city, because that can be really dangerous," said KaidenAngeconeb, a Grade 11 student at the Indigenous high school, which houses students from northern First Nations who travel to Thunder Bay to study.

The group of ten students also brought up concerns about the state of their agingschool. The building is "falling apart," Angeconeb said.

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It's not the first time students at the school have made their case for a new school and residence, but themessage was well received by Minister Philpott, as well as Senators Kim Pate, Marilou McPhedranand Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia, who also attended the meetingand offered words of support, he said.

"As I was there, I started to get emotional just seeing the support," Angeconebsaid.

"They were onboard. They wanted to get behind it as fast as they could," he said. "All they needed was to see the plan ... that is in the works."

A feasibilitystudy for the new school is currently underwayand is expected to be completed in the spring.