Wedoany.com Report on Mar 10th, The City of Hamilton has recently formalized a land transfer agreement with French public and Catholic school boards, paving the way for a long-awaited French-language high school project in the Ancaster area. According to the agreement, a 14-acre municipal parcel at 700 Garner Road East in Ancaster will be used to construct a joint secondary school. In exchange, the city will gain ownership of a 9.5-acre site at 16 Broughton Avenue in the East Mountain area, which will be officially developed into parkland. This land swap marks a critical step forward for the school construction project.
Mayor Andrea Horwath stated, "This land exchange is the result of years of steadfast advocacy, collaboration, and hard work by local leaders, Francophone families, City Council and staff, and our French public and Catholic school boards. In the summer of 2022, the community shared with me their frustration with the slow progress. Together, we focused on the community's needs—increasing access to French-language secondary education in Ancaster and protecting residents' valuable green space." This school construction project will directly address the community's long-standing educational needs.
The new school will replace the Mère-Teresa Catholic School on the East Mountain and the Georges-P.-Vanier School in Westdale, facilities long considered substandard by parents and students. The planned joint high school for 800 students will accommodate 400 students from each school board in separate wings, featuring shared community spaces that may include a cafeteria stage or auditorium, lounge areas, and workshop classrooms. This school construction project aims to provide superior educational facilities.
The project dates back to 2016 when the Ministry of Education allocated $26 million for a joint secondary school in Hamilton. After a lengthy site selection process and multiple stalled site proposals, the City of Hamilton secured the current location in January 2024. Virginie Oger, Communications Advisor for the MonAvenir Catholic School Board, said, "Given current construction market conditions, the boards are finalizing updated designs and cost estimates and plan to submit a revised funding request to the Ministry of Education in the coming months. The final project budget will be confirmed upon completion of the design phase and review by the Ministry of Education." The budget for this school construction project will be adjusted based on current market conditions.
Designed by the Toronto-based architecture firm Snyder, the project's next steps include submitting a site plan application and building permits, with construction slated to begin in the fall of 2026.
