Bedford, NS: Summit Academy of Active Learning Inc. (“Summit”) has secured a parcel of land from The Armour Group Limited (“Armour”), in Westway Park, bringing Summit one step closer to building a new, contemporary school that will accommodate its 170+ members and growing student population from Junior Primary to Grade Nine.
Summit co-founders Devin Hartnell and Rob O’Brien collaborated with Scott Armour McCrea on the land deal at Westway Park. The McCrea family have been generous supporters of independent education for many decades.
“We are pleased to support the freedom of educational choice and the development of independent learning opportunities in the thriving West Bedford community.” said Mr. McCrea, Chief Executive Officer of The Armour Group. “We are impressed with the vision the Summit Academy has to develop the leaders of tomorrow and look forward to seeing it come to life in this new venue.”
O’Brien said, “It was a red-letter day for us when Armour agreed to help turn our vision into a reality. Scott has been a true visionary in helping develop independent educational opportunities for youth in Nova Scotia. Without his support, Devin and I would not be able to take this momentous step in achieving our goal of developing a first-class academic institution with an emphasis on teaching academics and entrepreneurialism through an active learning methodology and enhanced, daily physical activity.”
Hartnell added, “Westway Park is an ideal location for our school. Many of our school families are already in the Bedford, Hammonds Plains, Clayton Park, Tantallon and Fall River areas, and the neighbourhoods are seeing new families every day, as well as many housing developments on the horizon.”
Early plans for the new school, with current enrollment of 170 students, envision accommodating 300+ students in a single academic building and athletic field that will cover several acres in Westway Park. Moreover, as Hartnell says, “Summit is enthusiastic about the prospect of being included in the master planning exercise for the long-term vision of Westway. This will enable us to partner with the experience that Armour brings to the table on large-scale community and commercial developments.”
“With such significant growth in our enrollment, the timing is ideal to build a large school of our own,” said O’Brien. “This will be a beautiful building, and we’ll be constructing it with our students and teachers in mind at every step.” Added Hartnell, “With small class sizes, motivated and invested teachers, and Head of School Shauna Wall, who has an established track record of leadership, Summit will be a first-rate academic option for families for generations to come.”
Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2022, with an anticipated school opening date of September 2023. Hartnell, who is also part owner and COO of Lindsay Construction, said, “At Lindsay’s, we have already built a number of new, modern schools in Nova Scotia, and we will be utilizing our detailed knowledge of green, sustainable construction, along with Architecture 49’s experience, a nationwide leader in designing educational facilities, to build a beautiful, new school.”
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Summit Academy is a community-minded school in West Bedford, accommodating students from Junior Primary to Grade Nine. The school’s child-centric, active learning approach ensures education of the whole student, producing lifelong learners in the process. SummitAcademy.ca
The Armour Group Limited is a multi-dimensional investment firm whose practice encompasses a variety of businesses within Atlantic Canada, but is primarily defined by its leading position as an integrated real estate development and construction firm. Their multi-generational practice is dedicated to the principles of excellence and is built on the mandate of creating a “sense of place” in their work. The company is unique in its integration of the concept design, development, construction and internal management of all real estate assets.