THUNDER BAY – Representatives of the Conseil scolaire public du Nord-Est de l'Ontario school board say they wanted to offer parents an alternative when choosing a French education for their children in Thunder Bay.
At present, parents who want their children to learn in French have two choices: sign up for French immersion at Lakehead Public Schools or with the Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boreales, where being Catholic is required in elementary grades.
The school, which will open next September, will be the 14th elementary school the board operates in Northern Ontario, along with eight high schools.
Sebastien Fontaine, director of education for the Conseil scolaire public du Nord-Est de l'Ontario, said the demand from parents was there for a French-language public school, which will be housed in the former Edgewater Park Public School building on Victoria Avenue.
“We have a very wide territory. We cover the whole northwest and Thunder Bay is a big city in the northwest, a big urban region, and we were not there. Some parents that are right-holders for French education would like to have a French public education, so that’s why we decided to work on that project, to be able to be a part of the French community in Thunder Bay,” Fontaine said on Tuesday, officially confirming the school.
It's all about choice, Fontaine said.
“There are immersion schools that offers some French, but in a French public environment, all the kids learn French, they learn about their French Ontarian culture, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s important. In Ontario there are four different school systems and it’s also important that we are here as well.”
Fontaine said it’s too soon to know how many students will enrol at the school, or how many teachers and staff will be hired to work there. First and foremost, the board plans to hire a principal, and an open house will be held on Nov. 19 at 4:30 p.m. for interested parents and students.
The board, with the help of $1.2 million from the provincial government, plans to freshen up its new school, including installing an elevator for student with special needs to move between floors of the two-story building.
Conservative MPP Kevin Holland (Thunder Bay-Atikokan) called the yet-to-be-named school a great opportunity for the French community living in the Thunder Bay area.
“We do have the elementary and high school French programs, but nothing offered through the French [Public] system. This will offer those who want to offer the children in the French language, but in a public system without the religious component, good opportunities. I think it’s a really great investment to be making in our community and it shows the commitment... of our government to invest in education.”
Fontaine said for now, they’re sticking with an elementary school (K-8), but offered that a high school could be a possibility at some point down the road, should the demand be there.
Students graduating from the French public board have the option of attending a French high school in the Catholic system, without the requirement to be a Catholic.
