Construction on new Markdale school is underway

Construction on the new Beavercrest Community School in Markdale has started.

Work at the site of the new school facility started recently. The work is being done behind the existing Beavercrest school building, which will remain in operation until the new facility opens.

Local leaders, Bluewater District School Board officials, staff and students gathered at the construction site on July 6 for the official groundbreaking ceremony.

“It’s been a long time coming. It’s a momentous occasion,” said Lori Wilder, director of education with the school board. “It’s going to be an outstanding facility. I’m so happy we had the students with us today.”

Grade 7 Beavercrest students Marika Del Duca and Don Carmel Mugisha participated in the special ceremony.

The road to a new Beavercrest Community School in Markdale has been a long and winding one for the entire community. In 2016, the board of education announced plans to close the school. Stunned community members pointed to a looming development boom for Markdale and sought to have the decision reversed.

“Almost immediately, council, local businesses, developers, students, parents and community members stepped up and devised a plan,” Grey Highlands Mayor Paul McQueen recalled at the ceremony. “The plan would take tenacity, determination and a commitment to realize it. Many of the students who fought to save the school have just graduated high school.”

Developers and Chapman’s Ice Cream pledged financial support to ensure the school in Markdale stayed open.

In February 2018, the provincial government announced a new school would be built in Markdale. The new facility will be a 328-pupil junior kindergarten to Grade 8 school and will include a two-room childcare centre and a two-room EarlyON centre.

The board of education recently received revised approval from the Ministry of Education in the amount of $19.6 million to proceed with the project. The increased funding addresses higher construction costs and costs uniquely related to the site. The new school is expected to open for the 2024-25 school year. Earlier in the year the board had received approval for just over $15 million for the project.

“The continued financial commitment and support for a new replacement school with child care in Markdale by the Ministry of Education is wholeheartedly appreciated by our board and community,” said board chair Jane Thomson.  “We are also grateful to our current and previous MPPs, Rick Byers and Bill Walker, who have been the unwavering voices for our rural communities provincially, and our staff and partners for their support every step of the way.” 

Byers was on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony and was thrilled to see the project advancing.

“It’s very exciting and it’s great for the community,” he said. “It’s been a long journey for everybody. There is a lot of change happening in Markdale.”

McQueen said the new school is a major milestone for Markdale.

“The value of this new school extends far beyond its walls. It marks a significant milestone in Markdale’s ongoing growth and development and the broader Grey Highlands area,” said McQueen. “With the surge in our population and the completion of our new hospital, this school represents an essential service that will enhance our community’s dynamics.”