The minister of education has announced more than $19-million dollars to build a new Catholic French-language secondary school in London, Ont., and to update existing daycare spaces.
Ontario has committed $18.9 million to build a new secondary school for Conseil scolaire catholique Providence, the French Catholic board, plus $267,000 for a child care renovation at École élémentaire Marie-Curie which is under the French public board.
The funding for the two schools will support the creation of a total of 587 student spaces and 39 licensed child care spaces, the government said.
“Our government recognizes the importance of providing London’s French-language community with modern schools and affordable child care, which is why we are proud to again invest in London by funding a new school and a new child care centre,” said Minister of Education Stephen Lecce.
“This investment is part of our ongoing commitment and plan to build, expand, and modernize schools and child care spaces across our province — supported by the highest level of investment in French-language education in Ontario history.”
The new École secondaire catholique Monseigneur-Bruyère will be built at a London site to be acquired and will include grades 7 to 12 with the ability to accommodate up to 587 students.
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“For the past seven years, the Conseil scolaire catholique Providence capital plan has identified this construction project as a priority for our families and community in London and the surrounding areas,” said Joseph Picard Director of Education, Conseil scolaire catholique Providence.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome today’s announcement for a new French-Catholic secondary school in London. Through this funding, students will have a state-of-the-art learning environment that enables them to innovate and thrive in the digital age.”
The $267,412 for a child care renovation at École élémentaire Marie-Curie at 40 Hunt Club Dr. is being funded through the Early Years Capital Program (EYCP) and will include both a toddler and preschool room consisting of 39 licensed child care spaces.
“With this investment, the Ministry recognizes the pressing need for new Francophone child care spaces in the London area and supports the school board and its partners in their shared mission to contribute to the sustainability of the Franco-Ontarian community,” said Benoit Fortin, vice-chair of Conseil scolaire Viamonde.
The projects are part of a provincewide investment of more than $600 million to support new school and child care spaces that were recently announced by the province. The overall investment will support 78 school and child-care-related projects.
The investment is part of the Ontario government’s commitment to providing $14 billion to support school construction over ten years.
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