Province commits $88M to school projects
In a series of announcements this month, the Ontario government has committed nearly $88 million to fund the construction of schools in Milton, London and Waterloo Region.
The largest of the announcements sees $45.8 million committed to the construction of three schools and associated child-care spaces in Waterloo Region.
Kitchener—Conestoga MPP Mike Harris and Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced the funding on January 19. The money will support the creation of 1,665 elementary student spaces and 234 childcare spaces as part of the government's commitment to building modern, accessible, and technologically connected schools for Ontario youth.
Waterloo Region District School Board will receive $16.6 million of the funding to build a new school at Loxleigh Lane and Ironhorse Drive in Woolwich. The project sees the addition of 611 elementary school spaces and 73 child-care spaces.
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board will receive $27.1 million for the construction of two new elementary schools. One of those will be located at Thaler Avenue and Burgetz Avenue in Kitchener, and the other on a site yet to be named. Both will include room for 527 elementary students.
Finally, the region’s French-language school board, Conseil scolaire Viamonde, will receive $2.1 million to add 73 child-care spaces at its École élémentaire L'Harmonie in Waterloo.
In London, the province announced nearly $21 million in funding to build a new Southwest London Elementary School. The funding for the Thames Valley District School Board will support the creation of 804 student spaces, as well as 88 child-care spaces and five child-care rooms.
“The new Southwest London Elementary School is great news for our community,” said Elgin—Middlesex—London MPP Jeff Yurek. “This investment will provide choice and flexibility for families and new opportunities for children in the London area.”
The funding is in addition to $19 million allocated by the province to the construction of a Catholic French-language secondary school in the city.
The city’s French Catholic board, the Conseil scolaire catholique Providence, will receive a further $267,000 for a child-care renovation at École élémentaire Marie-Curie. The combined funding will create a total of 587 student spaces and 39 licensed child-care spaces, the government said.
Finally, in Milton, the province has committed $2 million to the Halton Catholic District School Board to expand the St. Kateri Tekakwitha catholic secondary school by 69 student spaces.
“The new addition at St. Kateri Tekakwitha CSS is great news for our community,” said Milton MPP Parm Gill. “This investment will provide choice and flexibility for families and new opportunities for the children of Milton. As we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will ensure our children have a safe in person learning environment.”
The projects are part of a provincewide investment of more than $600 million to support new school and child-care spaces.
As part of this investment, the province dedicated more than $565 million to create more than 19,700 new student spaces and 1,500 child-care spaces at schools across the province. The overall investment will support 78 school and childcare-related projects.