Since my time representing Orléans on the Ottawa Catholic School Board I have made school construction a priority.
Our kids deserve to learn in the best environment possible. That means building additions onto schools to eliminate portables and building new schools to reduce travel time by bus and ensure our schools aren’t overflowing as our community continues growth.
Stephen’s Record as MPP
Despite not being a member of the Government, since being elected in February 2020, Stephen has secured well over $100 million in new school funding for Orléans.
This includes 5 new schools (one elementary school for each school board), a French Public High School and an addition onto Collège Mer Bleue High School on Renaud Road.
Collège Mer Bleue Addition
Left: Stephen joins school Principal, Chantal, and student body President, Blanda on a tour of the construction site.
Right: Stephen joins officials and students to cut the ribbon and open the school addition.
The addition to Collège Mer Bleue was announced in 2023 with addition officially opening for student use beginning with the 2025 school year.
The $12 million addition includes 16 classrooms and accommodates 343 additional student spaces for students in grades 7-12.
French Catholic Elementary School
Artist rendering of the new school located at the corner of Tenth Line and Sweetvalley Drive in Summerside West.
The $20 million school will feature 17 class rooms to accommodate over 400 students. It will also include a daycare and special education centre. The school board anticipates opening the school in the fall of 2026.
Left: Stephen joined school board officials and students to break ground on the new elementary school.
Right: Stephen gives a fist bump to one of the lucky students who will benefit from the
English Catholic Elementary School
The new catholic elementary school is located in the Mer Bleue Expansion area community along the extension of Jerome Jodoin, circled in red.
In the spring of 2024 I secured $20.3 million for the Ottawa Catholic School Board for a new elementary school to service south Orléans.
The new school will accommodate 507 students and also provide 39 licensed child care spaces in Ottawa.
While the funding has been secured, the school board must proceed through the lengthy and complicated building approvals process with the City of Ottawa.
English Public Elementary School
The new English public elementary school will be located beside Goldfinch Park on Joshua Street in Bradley Estates.
In the spring of 2024, I worked with the Government to secure $28.3 million for a new English Public elementary school to service Bradley Estates and surrounding area.
The new school will accommodate 674 students and will also include 39 licensed child care spaces.
French Public Elementary School
Last fall Stephen joined school board officials to break ground on their new elementary school to service south Orléans.
On of the first things I started to do when I arrived at Queen’s Park was to begin advocating for school construction. In 2021, I was proud to secure $10.7 million for the new French public elementary school.
The French Public school board is building a much awaited elementary school to service the growing community in south Orléans.
This school will be designed to provide an exceptional learning environment that fosters creativity, innovation and collaboration. This school will offer state-of-the-art facilities, modern classrooms and dynamic spaces that will encourage student growth.
It will include 354 student spaces as well as a daycare that can accommodate 10 infants, 15 toddlers and 24 preschoolers.
The school officially broke ground in November 2024 and is scheduled to open to students for the 2026 school year.
French Public High School
The new French Public High School will be co-located with their elementary school already under construction and will service the growing areas of south Orléans.
I worked hard to relieve the pressure on Gisèle Lalonde High School with the construction of a new French public high school in south Orléans. In the spring of 2024 he secured funding for the new $33.3 million high school, which will provide all of the amenities of a modern high school and space for 713 students.
The school board is in the lengthy process of securing construction approval from the City of Ottawa.
Additional pressure will be relieved from Gisèle Lalonde with the construction of a new High School in Rockland which will remove those students from our school here in Orléans.
Stephen’s Record as School Trustee
Left: Stephen joins then MPP Phil McNeely and school council President Mike Buzzetti to celebrate the start of construction at St. Matthew.
Right: Stephen joins officials and children for the groundbreaking of St. Domenic
In 2009/2010 I worked with our then MPP and the Minister of education to secure much needed funding for a school addition to St. Matthew High School. This built six new classrooms and all but eliminated the need for portables.
I also worked to secure the funding necessary to build St. Dominic CHS in Avalon.
In my time as school trustee, student enrolment was on the increase, budgets were balanced, we had labour peace and test scores were amongst the highest in the province.