Construction Underway for $70.1 Million Catholic High School and Community Hub in Wasaga Beach

📅 Today

The groundbreaking of a new Catholic high school and community hub in Wasaga Beach marks a significant development in the municipality, which has lacked a local secondary school. This innovative project was made possible through collaboration among local leaders, education authorities, and private partners.

Construction has commenced on a $70.1 million Catholic high school and community hub in Wasaga Beach, a municipality that has been the largest in Ontario without its own secondary school. This project stands out not only due to the new facility but also because of the unique approach taken by local leaders to bring the project from concept to reality. Instead of waiting for the provincial education system to put forth a traditional school proposal, the Wasaga Beach council, in collaboration with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board and private sector partners, devised a community-centric plan that capitalized on existing municipal infrastructure. This strategy facilitated quicker provincial funding approvals, leading to the initiation of construction, with the school and community hub anticipated to open by September 2028.
Mayor Brian Smith of Wasaga Beach commented, "Council knew our kids deserved access to high school here at home, and we took a different approach to help make that happen. By working directly with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board and the Province of Ontario, we helped advance a smarter, more practical proposal that gets shovels in the ground and doors open sooner. This project is a powerful example of what can be achieved when municipal, provincial, education, and private-sector partners work together to put students and families first."
The new campus is being constructed at 486 River Rd. W., adjacent to the Wasaga Stars Arena and the Wasaga Beach Public Library. By situating the school alongside existing public facilities, municipal leaders argued that taxpayer value could be maximized, duplication minimized, and a multi-functional community destination created. The town council was determined to find a new strategy after years of failed attempts to secure a local high school. In 2023, after decades of advocacy that yielded no results, the council instructed town staff to investigate new avenues for attracting provincial investment.
Working closely with the Catholic school board and local developer Far Sight Homes, the municipality identified a suitable site, crafted a feasible proposal, and garnered support at the provincial level. Town officials then engaged with provincial representatives at both the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Rural Ontario Municipal Association conferences to promote the proposal. Their efforts bore fruit when the province announced funding for the project in May 2024.
The K-12 Catholic School and Community Hub is considered one of the most significant education and community infrastructure projects currently in progress in Ontario. It will accommodate 1,008 students and feature 49 licensed childcare spaces. Among its notable attributes will be a 300-seat community theatre, track-and-field facilities, and collaborative learning spaces designed to support both educational and community programming. The project is backed by $67.3 million in provincial funding and a $2.8 million contribution from the Town of Wasaga Beach to enhance the theatre component, which will broaden opportunities for local performances, cultural events, and student productions.
The school and community hub owe their realization to a significant land donation from Far Sight Homes. The campus will also facilitate post-secondary and continuing education opportunities through partnerships with Canadore College and Lakehead University. Kimberly Dixon, the director of education for the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, stated that the project represents a new paradigm for integrating schools into expanding communities. "This project reimagines what a school can be," she noted. "Together with the Town of Wasaga Beach, we have created a model that integrates education, childcare, recreation, culture, and lifelong learning into a single community hub. This innovative partnership will benefit students and families in Wasaga Beach and can serve as a blueprint for how growing communities across Ontario approach future school development."
For local families, the impact will be immediate once the school opens. Currently, secondary students must commute outside the municipality for high school, spending considerable time on buses. The new facility will allow students to receive education closer to home while engaging more fully in sports, arts programs, clubs, and extracurricular activities within their own community. The project also reflects the rapid growth and changing demographics of Wasaga Beach. As one of Ontario’s fastest-growing municipalities, the town is striving to enhance local services and infrastructure to keep pace with population demands.
The new high school is just one aspect of this effort. The province has also committed more than $59.3 million for a second high school in Wasaga Beach through the Simcoe County District School Board, which will create an additional 1,145 student spaces.

Related Posts