Ontario invests $61M for new schools to be build in Simcoe County to address overcrowding
The Ontario government announced it would invest more than $60 million to build new schools and expand an existing one in Simcoe County, addressing the needs of growing communities.
The Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) will receive $24.3 million to construct a new Catholic elementary school in Angus. This new facility will accommodate 516 students and provide 49 licensed child care spaces.
Additionally, the province will allocate $8.6 million to expand St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in Tottenham. This expansion will create 276 new student spaces, helping to alleviate overcrowding and support the school's ability to serve its expanding student body.
"I know that the Angus community will be very happy to have a new school to relieve the growth pressures in that community, and St. Thomas Aquinas certainly looks forward to a new addition to accommodate growth and learning at their school," stated Maria Hardie, board chair with SMCDSB.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) is also set to benefit from substantial funding, with $28.1 million allotted for a new elementary school in Angus. The public school, to be located at Greenwood Drive and Decarolis Drive, will provide 593 student spaces.
John Dance, SCDSB director of education, expressed enthusiasm about the new projects, noting the new schools would provide much-needed relief to existing facilities currently operating at or above capacity.
"With this announcement of capital funding and the strong relationship we have established with the Township of Essa, we will be ready to proceed with the build immediately," Dance said.
These investments are part of the provincial government's broader commitment to improving educational facilities across Ontario, particularly in rapidly expanding municipalities.
Construction timelines for these projects have yet to be announced.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6928089.1718414815!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Foreign Affairs Minister insists there are no ‘traitors’ in Liberal caucus
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly insists there are no "traitors" in the Liberal caucus, after a report from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) alleged there are MPs and senators who are “semi-witting or witting participants” in foreign interference efforts.
Your father’s diet before you were born could have affected your health, a new study suggests
Your father's diet before you were born could have played a role in your health, a new study has found.
Global study ranks two Canadians cities high on list of most expensive places to buy a home
As Canadians continue to struggle with the extremely high cost of buying a home in some of the country’s major urban centres, a new global report is underscoring just how expensive some of those markets are.
Shooting in Detroit suburb injures 9, leaving an 8-year-old in critical condition
Nine people were injured, including two young children and their mother, after a shooter opened fire at a splash pad in a Detroit suburb where families gathered to escape the summer heat Saturday. Law enforcement tracked a suspect to a home, where the man died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.
Rare surgery in Montreal allows 9-year-old girl to live normal life
A rare surgery at the Montreal Children's Hospital is allowing a nine-year-old girl to keep her adrenal glands and live a normal life.
Trudeau says Russia needs to be accountable for 'genocide' of taking Ukrainian kids
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Russia needs to be accountable for "an element of genocide" he says it's committing by taking thousands of Ukrainian children from their home and by trying to erase their Ukrainian identity.
'They're not human beings, they're animals': Trump blasts immigrants for taking jobs
Donald Trump blamed immigrants for stealing jobs and government resources as he courted separate groups of Black voters and hardcore conservatives in battleground Michigan on Saturday.
BREAKING A 'brazen daylight shooting': 16-year-old boy was fatally shot in Scarborough during fight, say police
Toronto police are appealing for witnesses and information as they deploy a “significant amount of resources” into the investigation of the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy in Scarborough on Saturday afternoon.
Video shows northern Ont. storm hammer shoreline, breaking dock
The owner of a northern Ont. camp is continuing to clean up after an intense storm that prompted a tornado warning Thursday ripped through the area breaking his dock and downing trees.