Province providing $74.1 million for JK to Grade 12 school

The Independent

After eight years of planning and years of waiting, the province has given the green light to build a new Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 school in Forest. And the cost of the Blue Coast District School has skyrocketed.

The Lambton-Kent District School Board says its received approval to build the school which includes three child care and two EarlyON rooms at a cost of $74.1 million.

In July 2023, the Ministry of Education projected the cost of the building to be about half that – $39.8 million.

The board first began considering the consolidation of schools in the Forest area in 2016. After a school review, trustees approved bringing students from Aberarder Central School, Bosanquet Central School, Kinnwood Central School and North Lambton Secondary School to one spot for a Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 School in 2017.

It took another three years for the province to approve the purchase of land in Forest for the school at a cost of $4.7 million in 2021.

The board and the Ministry of Education planned for what was anticipated to be a $27.4 million building, but in July 2023, the plans shifted. The board said the school would be built to house up to 1,186 students and provide 49 child care spaces in a three-room centre. That pushed the price of the new school to $39.8 million.

As the planning and approvals continued between the board and the Ministry of Education, there was a public disagreement about the name of the new school. In 2023, a naming committee first chose Lambton Shores Community School. Indigenous communities balked at the idea since Lambton’s namesake – John George Lambton, the first Earl of Durham, had been criticized for wanting to assimilate French Canadians into English culture. Trustee Roberta Northmore called it “old colonial thinking.” In June, the board announced the new name – Blue Coast District School – after an extensive round of consultation with Indigenous leaders and the community, pouring over 176 names.

Six months ago, as speculation swirled about a possible provincial election, school officials reassured the community the project was still a priority, they were just waiting on the province.

The wait finally ended today, with the $74.1 million announcement. Board officials were not immediately available to explain why the cost of the school has again doubled.

In a news release, officials did say 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.”

Officials added a formal groundbreaking event will be held in September. It’s not clear how long construction will take.