‘It is a huge day,’ says Simcoe-Gray MPP; as soon as constructed, Catholic faculty will serve greater than 1,000 college students
Simcoe-Gray MPP Brian Saunderson introduced right now the province might be placing up $57.7 million for a brand new junior kindergarten to Grade 12 Catholic faculty in Wasaga Seashore.
Schooling Minister Stephen Lecce joined Saunderson on the Wasaga Seashore Enviornment and Library constructing for the announcement Might 1.
“It is a huge day,” stated Saunderson. “It has been a time to get right here, however actually now that we’re right here, let’s transfer ahead as rapidly as we will.”
Whereas there have been numerous teams advocating for a brand new highschool in Wasaga Seashore for at the very least two municipal election phrases, the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District Faculty Board’s proposal for the Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 faculty went to the province within the fall of 2023.
“This motion to get highschool grades in Wasaga Seashore has been happening for fairly some time and, transferring ahead, it would even be a problem as we take a look at the redevelopment of Collingwood Collegiate Institute,” stated Saunderson.
The board’s proposal envisioned the varsity adjoining to the brand new twin-pad area and library constructing and for shared services between the varsity and area/library.
Saunderson stated the board’s concept to leverage the brand new municipal asset helped make a sexy proposal for the province.
“They took the initiative to have a look at partnering and leveraging the asset right here, and put collectively a robust enterprise case that basically made this challenge bounce off the web page,” stated Saunderson.
In accordance with the city, that college plan additionally contains partnerships with Lakehead College and Canadore Faculty for specialised programming focused to expert commerce professions in childcare, building, healthcare and hospitality.
The city has additionally confirmed the brand new faculty features a theatre facility for use by college students through the day and by the neighborhood on evenings and weekends.
The brand new faculty will embrace 1,008 pupil areas and 49 licensed childcare areas in Wasaga Seashore and Lecce stated it needs to be constructed by 2027.
Shawn Cooper, the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District Faculty Board trustee for Clearview, Collingwood, Springwater, and Wasaga Seashore stated he felt like he wanted to be pinched to ensure he wasn’t dreaming.
“It was extremely thrilling to witness the evolution of a challenge like this,” stated Cooper, including it’s unprecedented for the native Catholic board.
“Not solely will this faculty tackle enrolment pressures at St. Noel Chabanel (Catholic Faculty), it would additionally present this neighborhood with a much-needed highschool in order that college students don’t have to journey outdoors Wasaga Seashore for faith-based studying.”
St. Noel college students have been on the announcement and the varsity choir sang O Canada to start out the occasion.
Lecce counseled the varsity board, municipality and MPP for his or her advocacy of the brand new faculty.
“I do know extra about this challenge than I ever signed up for,” jested Lecce. “However that simply speaks to the quantity of advocacy and the fervour that you’ve.”
The minister stated it is a “historic funding” for publicly funded training in Wasaga Seashore and stated it was one of many largest faculties introduced on this spherical of capital funding.
Whereas JK-12 faculties are usually not remarkable, they’re extra uncommon than the standard highschool or elementary faculty fashions. Lecce stated the Catholic faculty board proposed the mixed faculty.
“We have got to constructed a contemporary faculty on this neighborhood,” stated Lecce. “Numerous Ok-12 faculties, particularly in rising elements of rural Ontario turn into extra widespread … we are going to help any challenge that delivers trendy training to youngsters and will get higher state-of-the-art faculty with STEM studying to communities within the smallest cities of Ontario.”
“We agree we have to construct extra faculties,” stated Lecce, promising to collaborate with faculty boards.
The province has dedicated to supply about $16 billion to help new faculty building, restore and renewal over a 10-year interval.
The brand new Catholic faculty doesn’t, in keeping with Saunderson and Lecce, take a public highschool off the desk.
“Brian (Saunderson) and I stay up for returning to your complete using … I guarantee you … we might be again,” stated Lecce.
“We have all the time acquired our sleeves rolled up and it is a in a short time rising neighborhood,” stated Saunderson, referring to a necessity for redevelopment of Collingwood’s highschool. “We’ve got to determine how that enterprise case goes collectively. So the discussions are ongoing for positive.”
