On Thursday, January 14, 2016, members of the Halton Catholic community gathered for the Blessing and Ground-Breaking Ceremony of the new North Oakville Preserve Catholic Elementary School. The blessing was officiated by His Excellency Daniel Miehm, Auxiliary Bishop of Hamilton.
"Our community is growing and our needs are getting bigger. So does the need for places to learn for our children. I know this new facility will be a wonderful addition to the Halton Catholic District School Board and the Oakville community," stated Indira Naidoo-Harris, MPP for Halton.
As part of the celebration, Reverend Father John Van Hees, Dean of Halton and Pastor of Mary Mother of God Parish led the blessing in opening prayer. Rob Burton, Mayor of Oakville and Indira Naidoo-Harris, MPP for Halton also witnessed the momentous occasion.
"Today, we stand together on a patch of gravel and snow. The next time we all gather to celebrate, we will stand in a brand new school building, designed to provide the students in this community with a quality Catholic education," commented Paula Dawson, Director of Education
The North Oakville Preserve Catholic Elementary School is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2016, is located on 16 Mile Drive just west of 6th Line and just North of Dundas Street. A Community Information Session about the School Boundary Review Process for the North Oakville Preserve Catholic Elementary School was held on January 13, 2016. The school is designed to accommodate 671 students, with an attached Child Care Centre facility that will accommodate 88 children. The design of the school is modeled after the original design of St. Benedict Catholic Elementary School, in Milton.
"We are grateful for the ongoing support and commitment of the Ministry of Education through the provision of funding to help us build new school buildings that will serve the needs of our growing communities," stated Jane Michael, Chair of the Board
LEARN MORE ABOUT:
1. North Oakville School Boundary Review Process
2. December 15, 2015 Action Report - Sketch Plan Design and Preliminary Budget
3. Construction Progress of the North Oakville Preserve Catholic Elementary School