New Elementary School in Caledonia One Step Closer to Breaking Ground

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Media Release

For immediate Release

New Elementary School in Caledonia One Step Closer to Breaking Ground

TUESDAY, SEPT. 26, 2023

Brantford, Ont. – The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB) and Grand Erie District School Board (Grand Erie) have officially obtained ownership of a 6.18-acre site in Caledonia, the future home of a joint-use elementary school site that will serve the needs of the area’s growing population.

Above: The site of more than seven acres at the McLachlan and Whitehorn intersection in Caledonia has been set aside for the new joint elementary school.

The acquisition of the land near the intersection of MacLachlan Ave and Whitehorn Crescent, finalized September 5, is the result of joint applications for funding submitted by each school board. It marks an important milestone for the future school, which is on track to welcome students in September 2025. The project is made possible through $20.4 million in support from the Ministry of Education, and the land acquisition is the result of approximately $12.7 million in funding through the Ontario government’s Land Priorities, which will also cover additional site-related costs.

Grand Erie currently operates two elementary schools and one secondary school, and BHNCDSB operates two elementary schools, in Caledonia. The new school is a significant infrastructure investment that will meet the increasing needs of the fast-growing community in Haldimand County, with a capacity for 746 learners, and a childcare centre with spaces to accommodate infants, toddlers, and preschool children.

With ownership of the site now transferred to both school boards, a tendering process to select a construction partner will commence. The project is expected to break ground later in 2023.

The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board offers faith-based education serving nearly 13,000 students from Six Nations of the Grand River, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Brant, Haldimand, and Norfolk Counties, and the City of Brantford. The district has over 1,700 full and part-time staff committed to Belonging, Teaching and Learning, and Wellness for all.

Grand Erie District School Board represents more than 27,000 students in 58 elementary schools and 14 secondary schools within the City of Brantford and the counties of Brant, Haldimand, and Norfolk as well as students from Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. With a dedicated staff of more than 2,900, Grand Erie is committed to learning, leading, and inspiring.

Quotes:

“We are pleased to have finalized the land acquisition and are eagerly anticipating the positive impacts of this development for learners and their families in Caledonia. On behalf of our Board, we want to thank the Ministry of Education and the Honourable Stephen Lecce for investing in these important enhancements to public education. We are excited to develop opportunities for learning, well-being and belonging in a new space, purpose-built to support the needs of students in Caledonia.”

Susan Gibson,
Chair of Grand Erie District School Board

“On behalf of our Board, I want to thank the Ministry of Education, in particular, the Honourable Stephen Lecce, for their continued commitment to Catholic education through this investment. Our Board is growing at an increasing rate and the need for technologically advanced and environmentally sustainable student learning spaces is bound to continue. We are excited to welcome families of Caledonia and the surrounding area to our Catholic learning community.”