CONSEIL DES ÉCOLES CATHOLIQUES DU CENTRE-EST
CECCE receives funding to build its 62nd school in Riverside-South

The Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE) welcomes today's announcement by MNA Goldie Ghamari of funding to build a new French-language Catholic high school in Riverside-South.

The new school will have a capacity of 826 student places and will be located at the corner of Bobridge et Brian Good Avenues. The land has already been purchased, and construction can begin in the fall of 2025, to welcome students for the start of the 2027-2028 school year. The CECCE would like to thank the parent members of Jonathan-Pitre, Bernard-Grandmaitre, Pierre-Savard and Sainte-Bernadette French-Catholic schools, who collected nearly 1,000 signatures in support of the project.

Quotes:

"Our government's investment of $40.8 million for a new French Catholic High School in Riverside South will allow our students to attend school in the community, rather than having to take the bus to another part of town," declares Goldie Ghamari, MPP for Carleton. "This new school will be a community center, just like a recreation center or library. It will become a place where children learn and feel comfortable, where they make lifelong friends, where they build relationships with wonderful, dedicated teachers, and where they create childhood memories that will last a lifetime."

« We are extremely pleased with the news of this investment! Thanks to the Ministry of Education's support, we will be able to offer a brand-new French-language Catholic high school in the dynamic Riverside South neighbourhood. This school will not only provide an exceptional learning environment for our youth to thrive, but also a place where our culture and language can flourish » says Johanne Lacombe, President of the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE).

« The school community has been very active in lobbying for a new school to serve more francophone rights holders and take some pressure off École secondaire catholique Franco-Cité and École secondaire catholique Pierre-Savard, which are already attracting many students, » adds Claude Lalonde, CECCE trustee for Barrhaven-East, Barrhaven-West, Knoxdale-Merivale, Rideau-Jock and Riverside-South-Findlay Creek.

« It's a project that reflects our ongoing commitment to educational excellence and our dedication to best serve our growing community in this part of the city. Together, we will continue to build a bright future for our students and for the francophone community in Ottawa » says Marc Bertrand, Director of Education at the CECCE.