New Catholic Elementary School Coming To Half Moon Bay
By Charlie Senack, Barrhaven Independent
A new Catholic Elementary School is coming to the growing community of Half Moon Bay.
The school, which will serve students from Kindergarten to grade six, will be located on Flagstaff Drive. It’s expected to open no earlier than September 2023.
It will include 507 student spaces and 40 licensed childcare spaces.
The site features multiple outdoor seating areas, a play structure, sports field, and a garden. There is also room for multiple portable classrooms to be placed in the future.
“I’m very excited about our growing community of Barrhaven and welcome the addition of the new Barrhaven South Catholic Elementary School to help support that growth,” said Barrhaven Ottawa Catholic School Board Trustee Spencer Warren. “This new school will alleviate some of the pressures at both St Cecilia and St Benedict, where they are both well over 100 per cent capacity.”
Warren also says a new Catholic elementary school will be built in the growing communities of Findlay Creek and Riverside South.
“Since being elected as Trustee with the Ottawa Catholic School Board representing Barrhaven, Gloucester, and South Nepean, I have been advocating for a new school in Findlay Creek, which finally has been approved,” he said. “Further, Riverside South will also be getting a new Catholic Elementary School to help support the growth in that community.”
The building of new elementary schools in this side of town is long overdue. Almost all schools in Barrhaven are operating at over 100 per cent capacity, a situation that is also playing out on the other side of the river.
Findlay Creek is currently served by only one public elementary school which is bursting at the seams. The Ottawa Carleton District School Board is now reviewing tough decisions, which could possibly move some students from Vimy Ridge Public School to Steve MacLean Public School — located roughly 10 kilometers away in Riverside South.
The addition of new Catholic elementary schools in this area is expected to also make a positive difference for the public board.
