PRESS RELEASE: Ontario Government Builds Two New Schools in Ottawa, including the First Public Secondary School in Riverside South

“I am so thrilled to announce that the Ontario Government has approved funding to build the first ever public secondary school in Riverside South, and a new Catholic Elementary School in Stittsville. These are not just investments in bricks and mortar, our government is investing in the future of our children by creating a better learning environment,” said Goldie Ghamari, MPP for Carleton. “By building these schools we are providing students in Riverside South, Stittsville and across Ottawa with access to modern classroom settings and the latest technology which will lead to new opportunities and lifelong success.”

It is critical that Ontario continues to invest in safe and modern schools that meet the needs of students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ontario government is also generating nearly 900 new licensed child care spaces across the province.

“This government firmly believes that your children deserve to learn in state of the art, modern, technologically connected and accessible schools,” said Minister Lecce. “We will continue to take action, like the new Riverside South Secondary School, to ensure students are safe today and well into the future by approving more new school buildings and permanent additions and increasing access to child care for working parents.”

The new Riverside South Secondary School will be located at the intersection of Spratt Road and Earl Armstrong Road, Ottawa. Highlights of the new public high school in Riverside South include:

• $42.3 M in approved Capital Priorities funding
• 1516 new secondary student spaces.
• 39 new licensed child care spaces.
• 2 child care rooms

The new Fernbank Catholic Elementary School will be located at the intersection of Iber Road and Hazeldean Road, Ottawa. Highlights of the new Catholic Elementary school in Stittsville include:

• $12.4 M in approved Capital Priorities funding
• 507 new elementary student spaces.
• 39 new licensed child care spaces.
• 2 child care rooms

Quick Facts:

• The Ontario Government is working with school board partners to invest in capital projects that advance safe and accessible learning opportunities for students.
• To create new opportunities for Ontario’s families, the government is investing up to $1 billion to create up to 30,000 new child care spaces in schools over five years.
• The Ontario Government announced in Budget 2019 that over the next ten years, Ontario is investing over $12 billion in capital grants, including allocating $550M in 2020-2021 for new schools, additions and major renovations.
• This massive investment will build new schools and help existing schools after a decade of closures and maintenance backlog.
• Ontario is also providing school boards with a historic $1.4 billion in funding to renew and maintain existing schools.
• This funding could be used to replace aging heating or air conditioning systems, repair roofs and windows, and install important accessibility features like elevators and ramps.