French Catholic schools get $3.2 million to aid consolidation project

Nipissing MPP Monique Smith
News Release

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French Catholic students in North Bay will benefit from an additional $3.2 million investment in a previously approved consolidation project in North Bay by the Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord.

The board was allocated $3 million in 2009 under the Energy Efficiency capital program to consolidate Cité-des-Jeunes and École secondaire catholique Algonquin into a new Grade 7-12 school. The new facility will be located on the existing Algonquin site. The Cité des Jeunes students are scheduled to move into the school in September 2011. The total allocation of this project is now $6.2 million.

This construction project will enable the replacement of École élémentaire catholique Saint-Anne in North Bay and École élémentaire catholique Saint-Paul on the current Cité des Jeunes site. This new school is expected to open in September 2012.

Investing in students and making schools better places to learn is an important part of the government’s Open Ontario Plan. By strengthening education, our government has already delivered results, including smaller class sizes, higher test scores and an improved graduation rate. Investing in education creates more opportunities for Ontario’s students, a better-educated workforce and a stronger economy for all Ontario families.

“This is great news for the students at all four schools,” said Monique Smith, MPP for Nipissing. “Our French Catholic children will benefit tremendously from improved school buildings, and these projects will support students for many years to come.”

“This funding will permit us to move forward on our Capital plan in order to accommodate the grade 7 and 8 students from Cité-des-Jeunes at École secondaire catholique Algonquin with a projected date of September 2011," said Cynthia Roveda, Director of Education for Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord.

QUICK FACTS

• Since 2003, the McGuinty government has invested $5.4 billion through the Good Places to Learn and energy efficiency programs.

• Across Ontario, 400 new schools have been built and 17,000 renovations and upgrades have been completed or are underway since 2003.

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