The Manitoba government has selected KPMG LLC to develop a Public Private Partnership (P3) business case for future construction of schools in the province, Premier Brian Pallister and Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart announced Wednesday.

According to a government release, the province will work with KPMG to determine possible P3 models for the Manitoba Schools Project and explore the P3 industry through a market sounding process.

Minister Wishart explains KPMG's work is essentially setting up a structure so any new construction the province wants to do fits in nicely with P3 models.

“That's what this whole process is really about, putting this model in place,” Wishart explains. “Once we become familiar with this, if this is the way we go, in terms of constructing (schools) and this structure is in place permanently, we can do not only other schools but perhaps some other construction projects.”

“Maybe related to health through the same process,” Wishart continues. “We're kind of breaking the way for other departments. But, initially, it's very focused on getting schools built in Manitoba.”

The first four schools the province will look at building using the public-private model are a Kindergarten to Grade 5 French immersion school in Seven Oaks School Division (Winnipeg), Kindergarten to Grade 8 school in the Waterford Green subdivision (Winnipeg), a Grade 9-12 school in Waverly West (Winnipeg) and a Kindergarten to Grade 8 school in Brandon.

“If all that works out there will be more in the future. The exact number depends on growth that we see in the province,” says Wishart. “We're certainly seeing growth in almost every school division to some degree now, and some of them quite dramatic.”

The P3 model for school construction is utilized in nine other provinces, Wishart notes, with recent cases in Alberta and Saskatchewan to look at as part of Manitoba's review.

The Education and Training Minister adds KPMG was selected because of its extensive experience in this area, having been involved in similar projects across Canada.

The contract began Aug.1 and the business case is expected to be developed by the end of 2017.