ðə skˈuːl hɐdbɪn plˈænd fɔːɹ ˈɔːlmoʊst ɐ dˈɛkeɪd bᵻfˌoːɹ bɪɡˈɪnɪŋ kənstɹˈʌkʃən, wɪð stˈuːdənts lˈɪvɪŋ ɪn ðɪs ˈɛɹiə ʌvðə sˈɪɾi hˌævɪŋ tə ɡˌoʊ tə skˈuːlz sˈɛvɹəl kɪlˈɑːmɪɾɚz sˈaʊθ sˈʌtʃ ɐz dʒˈɑːn dʒˈiː. dˈiːfənbˌeɪkɚ hˈaɪ skˈuːl ænd kɹˈɛsənt hˈaɪts hˈaɪ skˈuːl, wˌɪtʃ kˌʊdɐv ˌʌp tʊ ɐ fˈɪfti mˈɪnɪt tɹˈævəl tˈaɪm.
The school had been planned for almost a decade before beginning construction, with students living in this area of the city having to go to schools several kilometers south such as John G. Diefenbaker High School and Crescent Heights High School, which could have up to a 50 minute travel time.