'Deep disappointment': Thunder Bay French school board cancels expansion project

A major expansion project at École secondaire catholique de La Vérendrye in Thunder Bay, Ont., has been cancelled due to construction costs.

The expansion was expected to include a newly improved gymnasium and other renovations. The Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales (CSDC des Aurores boréales) announced the cancellation of the project last Friday.

It was approved by the Ontario Ministry of Education in October 2024, with $5.3 million in funding from the school board and the ministry through the Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Program for Official Languages.

However, after putting the project out for tender, the board found that the lowest bid was more than 105 per cent above the planned budget, exceeding $10 million. Faced with the significant financial gap, the board determined the project was no longer viable.

"It is with deep disappointment that we announce this decision," said Claudette Gleeson, board chair. "We recognize the importance of this project for our students and the entire French-speaking community in Thunder Bay."

According to Marie-France Tousignant, the school board's superintendent, the gymnasium at La Vérendrye is not just a space for physical education but also serves as a community hub, hosting local sporting events, tournaments and cultural gatherings. The planned expansion would have provided more flexibility, additional space and a stage for concerts and performances.

Despite the setback, the school board remains committed to offering its full slate of programming within the existing space. 

"As of now, we're still very much capable of offering full programming in the gymnasium that we have in terms of phys-ed classes, tournaments, sporting events. It is a very popular rental for the community in the evenings. So, we can still do that, but we were hoping to be able to offer more flexibility, more space," said Tousignant.

Tousignant said the board explored alternatives, such as cutting costs or securing additional funding, but those options were not feasible. 

"More funding was not available at this time," she said. "We looked at some alternatives, but it was not possible to do it in the timeframe and budget we had on hand."

As for the future of the project, Tousignant said the board will need to take some time to regroup.

"Every year, every school board is asked to submit its top priorities in terms of buildings, renovations and expansions. The board needs to reconvene and see if next year in the yearly process if it will still be part of our priorities."

The CSDC des Aurores boréales serves nine communities in northwestern Ontario, with nine elementary schools and two secondary schools, including La Vérendrye.