The Lambton Kent District School Board (LKDSB) is pleased to announce that the Ontario Ministry of Education has officially approved an amended Project Commitment for the construction of the new Blue Coast District School in Forest, Ontario. The school board has been granted approval to Capital Funding in the amount of $74,066,928 for the new JK-12 school, which will include three childcare rooms and two EarlyON rooms.
This project is made possible through capital funding from the Government of Ontario, whose investment in education infrastructure ensures students have access to modern, safe, and inclusive learning environments across the province.
With this final funding approval, the LKDSB is able to move forward toward the construction phase of the new Blue Coast District School, to be located just west of the Shores Recreation Centre in Forest, within the Municipality of Lambton Shores. The school will consolidate Aberarder Central School, Bosanquet Central Public School, Kinnwood Central Public School, and North Lambton Secondary School. The school will also proudly support the communities of Kettle & Stony Point First Nation, Lambton Shores, and Plympton-Wyoming.
"We are incredibly grateful for the support of the Government of Ontario in helping us take this critical next step," said Gary Girardi, LKDSB's Director of Education. "The Blue Coast District School will provide an inclusive, innovative, and future-focused learning environment for students from across the community for many, many generations to come."
"This project has been years in the making and reflects the input and vision of our students, staff, families, and community partners," added Brian McKay, Associate Director of Corporate Services for LKDSB . "We are excited to see construction begin and look forward to welcoming students to this beautiful new space."
The site will also include:
- A Child and Family Centre with 2 EarlyON rooms
- A 3-room Child Care Centre which will provide 49 new childcare spaces (comprised of 10 infant spaces, 15 toddler spaces and 24 preschool spaces)
- Modern facilities to support a wide range of educational and extracurricular programming for Kindergarten to Grade 12 students
Throughout the construction process, the Board will continue to provide the community with updates as key milestones are reached.
A Land Ceremony will take place in the upcoming weeks, in recognition of the significance of the site and in respect for the lands on which the new school will be built. Following, the LKDSB looks forward to welcoming media and community partners to a formal groundbreaking event, scheduled for September 2025. Further details on this will be shared as they become available.
