New Catholic high school approved for Wasaga Beach
The province has announced a new campus style K-12 Catholic school is expected to open in Wasaga Beach in 2027.
Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce and Simcoe-Grey MPP Brian Saunderson delivered the news during a media event on May 1.
The Ontario government is investing $57.7 million in the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board for the creation of 1,008 student spaces and 49 licensed child care spaces in Wasaga Beach. The project is part of a $1.3 billion plan to build new schools and expansions creating more than 27,000 new student spaces and 1,700 licensed child care spaces at schools across Ontario.
The new elementary and high school campus will become part of a Wasaga Beach Community Hub, building on the town’s new $60 million twin-pad arena and library, and feature post-secondary programs, a community theatre, child care centre and outdoor recreational fields
The proposal was developed by the Town of Wasaga Beach and the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board.
“The Town of Wasaga Beach approached the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board with a partnership opportunity and we were certainly excited to develop this concept with them and submit it to the Ministry of Education for approval,” said Shawn Cooper, Trustee for Wasaga Beach, Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board. “We are always looking for innovative ways to partner with municipalities to deliver the best possible education for our students. We are thrilled that the Province and the Ministry of Education have selected this project to proceed. We look forward to getting shovels in the ground quickly.”
Future students of this new elementary school and high school will benefit from the town’s state-of-the-art arena and library facilities. Altogether, the K-12 campus will offer students a dynamic learning environment and offer residents a hub for education, sport and community engagement.
“The Town of Wasaga Beach thanks the province for their partnership, collaboration and investment in this innovative K-12 school. This unique project will deliver more than additional elementary school capacity, a child care centre and a community theatre for Wasaga Beach. It is the first high school in the history of our community, and it is long overdue,” said Mayor Brian Smith. “This is a defining moment – one that will help shape the future of our community and benefit families and kids in WasagaBeach for generations to come. This government has made education a priority. Working together, we are putting students in Wasaga Beach first.”
The project includes a new community theatre that students can access during the school day, and which will be available to the community on evenings and weekends.
The County of Simcoe has also provided a letter of support to bring much needed child care facilities to the new school campus. Looking to the future, the Town of Wasaga Beach has also established MOUs with Lakehead University and Canadore College for specialized programming delivery targeted to skilled trade professions in child care, construction, healthcare and hospitality fields in addition to specific programming opportunities for adult and lifelong learning.
“Wasaga Beach is a fast-growing community and I commend the Town of Wasaga Beach and the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board for working together to develop an innovative project that will serve the needs of local families for generations to come. Funding this project in Wasaga Beach is one more example of our government’s commitment to education, and to putting students first,” said Saunderson. “Our government is investing about $15 billion over 10 years to build new schools, improve existing facilities, and create new child care spaces.”
