First French-language public elementary school in Thunder Bay to open next year
It will be the westernmost school for the Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l'Ontario
Starting next September, Thunder Bay will have a French-language public elementary school, a first for the northwestern Ontario city.
The Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l'Ontario will operate a kindergarten through Grade 8 school at the former Edgewater Park Public School location. The new school will be called the École publique de Thunder Bay.
The school board, which is based in Sudbury, has schools in several northern Ontario communities, including Manitouwadge, Marathon, and Longlac. Thunder Bay will be its westernmost location.
Thunder Bay has French-immersion programs and French-language Catholic schools, but had never had a French-language public elementary school.
Sebastien Fontaine, the board's director of education, said the board has been working for about 10 years to have a public French-language school in the city.
"Our board covers northwestern Ontario. It's a very large territory," Fontaine said.
"We were not there yet in Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay is a large city and it's important to be there to offer the opportunity for parents to choose French education."
The board has scheduled a community information session to be held at the school site next month.
"For year one, it's very difficult to say what enrolment will be," Fontaine said. "The school will have a capacity of 250 kids, so hopefully we'll be able to have a full school within 10 years."
Fontaine was optimistic when asked about whether the board would have difficulty hiring staff.
"It's a challenge every day, no matter where you are in Ontario," he said. "We always find a way to find teachers that have the motivation and engagement toward the well-being and success for our students."
The board is receiving provincial funding of $1.2 million toward renovations, including the installation of an elevator.
"I think it's a great opportunity," said Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland. "I think it's a great investment to be making in our community."
The former Edgewater Park school was closed in 2020 as part of the Lakehead District School Board's consolidation plan, which resulted in the construction of the École Elsie MacGill Public School.