GEORGIAN BAY COMMUNITY SCHOOL
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After more than 50 years of learning excellence in their former locations, Georgian Bay Community School (formerly Georgian Bay Secondary School) and St. Vincent-Euphrasia Elementary School have formally joined together in their state-of-the-art new home.
Bluewater District School Board trustees, staff, and students joined local dignitaries, community partners, build team members, and media on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 for the official opening of the new Georgian Bay Community School. The itinerary for the day, for invited guests, featured school tours, speeches, music, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a plaque unveiling.
Located behind the former St. Vincent-Euphrasia Elementary School property at 197799 Grey Road 7 in Meaford, the new Georgian Bay Community School welcomed junior kindergarten to Grade 12 students and staff for the first time in September 2021. Funded through approximately 29.6 million dollars from the Ministry of Education, the two-storey replacement facility includes 1,033 student spaces and one EarlyON Child and Family Centre room.
Construction of the new school has enabled a wide range of new features and enhancements, such as power and energy savings, light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, and improvements to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). The school’s interior includes new construction and transportation/manufacturing shops, a triple gymnasium, a cafetorium with stage, a library, and a music room. Among the outdoor features are a soon-to-be-developed track and sports field, a large green space, and hard-surface play areas.
“After an outstanding collaborative effort over the past few years that involved many helping hands, it is wonderful to be able to welcome students, staff, families, and the community to the new and improved Georgian Bay Community School,” says Fran Morgan, trustee for the Municipality of Meaford/Town of The Blue Mountains. “Thank you to our dedicated staff, the build team, local families, community partners, and of course, to our local MPP Bill Walker and the Ministry of Education for supporting this venture to benefit current and future generations of area students.”
“Congratulations are extended to the Meaford and area communities on the opening of the much anticipated and completely modernized Georgian Bay Community School,” says Superintendent of Education Keith Lefebvre. “It is a historical moment to witness students and staff from the previous location unite with their peers from St. Vincent-Euphrasia Elementary School. Their storied pasts, unique legacies, and strong school spirit will persevere as they establish exciting new traditions and reinvent school culture together under the same roof.”
“We are thrilled to begin this amazing journey with our students, staff, and families at the new home of the Georgian Bay Thunder,” says Principal Kevin Wilson. “From our youngest junior kindergarten students to our secondary soon-to-be graduates, so much excitement and promise can be felt throughout the entire school as we enjoy the many attributes and enhanced learning spaces of our new facility.”
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