Ontario's Minister of Education, Mitzie Hunter, toured the construction site at Barrie North Collegiate on Wednesday, along with provincial and school board dignitaries.
It's been three months since the province announced additional funding for the renovation at North - a project that will include a new library, cafeteria and a dozen new classrooms. In total, the year-long reno will cost about $10 million. In total, the ministry has announced about $18 million for renovations and repairs to a variety of Simcoe County Schools.
Hunter re-announced the funds today, saying schools should provide healthy, safe and modern learning environments, "whether they were built 10 years ago or over 100 years ago."
She recognized the efforts of the Simcoe County District School Board to complete multiple renovation and repair projects that will "impact students' well-being and public confidence in our schools."
The minister toured the school with a large contingent of school board officials, including Director of Education Kathi Wallace and SCDSB Board Chair Peter Beacock.
Principal Greg Brucker led the tour, on his second official day of school at North, after arriving from Barrie Central Collegiate this year.
Construction is expected to continue throughout the school year and next summer and Brucker says the result will be "a better place to learn."
"We will be better able to meet the needs of all students and meet the requirements of all learners," he said.
The aging building is being equipped with new windows and the former library has already been converted into a classroom for special needs programs.
Peter Tushingham is the project co-ordinator at the building site. He explained how a renovation project becomes reality.
"You start of by studying the school," he said. "What does it have and what does it need?"
"Then you look at the money available."
