GERALDTON -- A construction project aimed at providing a quality learning environment for students in Geraldton is now complete.
The major renovation to Geraldton Composite High School is now complete and it will be open for the 2021-2022 school year.
This will provide a new, quality learning environment for the students of Geraldton. As well as Ontario’s government investment into create the foundation for a modern learning environment for hundreds of students across Ontario.
“Ontario’s Indigenous students deserve supportive and culturally-appropriate education opportunities, and all young people deserve state-of-the-art classrooms with modern ventilation,” said Minister of Education Stephen Lecce. “Our government is proud to build the new Geraldton Composite High School retrofit that will benefit all students, and include dedicated resources to help the school’s Métis and First Nations achieve lifelong success.”
According to the news release, the retrofit includes a replacement of the storm water management system to ensure continued health and safety of students and staff and also a new dedicated smudging room to accommodate the school’s Métis and First Nations students.
Director of Superior-Greenstone District School Board Nicole Morden Cormier reacted by stating that, “Students must feel a strong sense of belonging and sense of self while attending school. As a sign of this commitment, the cultural space at the Geraldton Composite High School (Superior-Greenstone District School Board) has been completed, which includes both an indoor and an outdoor spaces for students. Ventilation systems have been enhanced to ensure that smudging and ceremony can occur indoors, in a space where students feel comfortable, can call their own, and where they can see their culture reflected.”
The Ontario government has allocated more than $600 million to support ventilation improvements in schools across Ontario as part of its plans for a safer return to school. The Superior Greenstone District School Board has benefited from an investment of $3.4 million for ventilation improvements and has over 50 HEPA filter units in place. Geraldton Composite High School is located at 500 Second Street West in Geraldton.
The announcement also indicated that over the next 10 years, the Ontario government is investing $14 billion in capital grants, including allocating $500 million in 2020-2021 for new schools, and renovations.
