Work has begun on a $70.1-million Catholic high school and community hub in Wasaga Beach, which has been the largest municipality in Ontario without its own secondary school for quite some time.
However, what stands out about this project isn’t just the building itself. It’s the innovative approach local leaders took to turn this idea into reality.
Instead of waiting for the provincial education system to propose a standard school plan, the Wasaga Beach council, along with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board and private partners, came up with a community-centered strategy that made use of existing municipal facilities.
This method helped speed up provincial funding approvals and led to actual construction starting on both the school and community hub, which is set to open by September 2028.
“Council recognized our kids needed access to high school right here at home, so we decided to take a different route to make it happen,” said Wasaga Beach Mayor Brian Smith. “By collaborating directly with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board and the Province of Ontario, we crafted a smarter proposal that allows us to start building sooner.”
“This project shows what can be accomplished when municipal leaders, provincial officials, educators, and private partners come together for the benefit of students and families.”
The new campus will be located at 486 River Rd. W., adjacent to both the Wasaga Stars Arena and Wasaga Beach Public Library. By placing the school next to existing public amenities, local leaders argued they could enhance taxpayer value while avoiding duplication and creating a versatile community spot.
The town council was committed to finding a new solution after years of trying unsuccessfully to secure a local high school.
This year, feeling frustrated by decades of advocacy without results for a high school, council instructed town staff to look into fresh ways of attracting provincial funding. Partnering with the Catholic board and local developer Far Sight Homes helped them identify a suitable site, develop an actionable proposal, and garner support from provincial authorities.
Town representatives also met with provincial officials during conferences held by both the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and Rural Ontario Municipal Association to promote their proposal. Those efforts were fruitful when the province announced funding for this project in May 2024.
The K-12 Catholic School and Community Hub Wasaga Beach K-12 School Status Award Value$57.3MLocation486 River Rd W, Wasaga Beach ONSector Public – State/Provincial Type Educational · New Construction Data as of September 8, 2026View Project Page → is one of Ontario’s major education projects currently in progress. This development will accommodate 1,008 students along with 49 licensed child care spaces.
A few standout features include a 300-seat community theatre, track-and-field facilities as well as collaborative learning spaces designed for educational purposes alongside community events.
The project benefits from $67.3 million in provincial funding along with an additional $2.8 million contribution from the Town of Wasaga Beach aimed at enhancing the theatre aspect-broadening options for local performances, cultural events, and student showcases. The establishment was made possible thanks to significant land donations from Far Sight Homes.
The campus will also offer post-secondary education opportunities through partnerships with Canadore College and Lakehead University.
Kimberly Dixon, director of education at Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board commented that this project represents a new way schools can integrate within expanding communities.
“This project reimagines what a school can be,” she stated. “Together with Wasaga Beach Town Council we’ve created an approach that combines education with childcare services as well as recreation opportunities all under one roof.”
“This partnership is going to benefit students and families in Wasaga Beach while serving as a model for how other growing communities across Ontario might tackle future educational developments.”
For families nearby once it opens its doors; there’ll be immediate positive impacts. Currently secondary students have had no choice but travel outside their municipality just to attend high school-spending considerable time commuting via bus each day.
This new facility means students can learn closer home while becoming more involved in sports programs arts activities clubs plus extracurriculars right within their own neighborhood.
This initiative also reflects rapid growth alongside changing demographics in Wasaga Beach-a place among Ontario’s fastest-growing municipalities striving hard towards expanding essential services plus infrastructure meeting increasing population needs effectively.
This new high school marks only part-of-the-town’s comprehensive effort-the province has promised over $59.3 million towards establishing another high-school via Simcoe County District School Board adding yet another additional capacity accommodating 1 ,145 student spaces!
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