 It is presently the only Catholic school in Western Canada that provides complete French Immersion education from kindergarten to grade 12.The school is named after Joseph Henri Picard, a francophone politician from Edmonton and was officially opened on September 9, 1973 at a cost of $1 210 000.00 to replace l'Académie Assomption, a private girls school originally run by the Sisters of the Assumption, and College St. Jean for boys.The original location of the school was located at 8828 95 Street since 1984 in the Bonnie Doon community not far from Campus Saint Jean, and Edmonton's French Quarter.