The new French high school currently under construction in Riverdale has been named after Paul-Emile Mercier, a Yukon engineer.
According to a Yukon government release, the school will be called Le Centre scolaire secondaire communautaire Paul-Emile Mercier in French and The Paul-Emile Mercier Secondary School Community Centre in English. It will also go under the initials CSSC Mercier.
Mercier was born in Quebec in 1877. In 1903 he was the director of the Yukon’s Department of Public Works. This saw him move all over the territory.
His time in the Yukon saw him help develop the territory’s transportation system as well as direct work on the Five Finger Rapids, to mitigate danger for navigators.
The Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon (CSFY), the Yukon francophone community and students from Ecole Emilie-Tremblay and Academie Parhelie launched a contest to name the new school.
Vincent Belanger proposed the name and will get $100 for winning the contest.
Contact Gord Fortin at gord.fortin@yukon-news.com