St. Thomas Aquinas students shouldn’t have any trouble finding their new school.
Workers recently broke ground on the new STA, which is set to be located beside the current school and behind the convent, which is slated to be transformed into a performing arts centre.
“We’re hoping to open in 2019,” principal John Campbell reported.
The catalyst for the $26-million construction project was a seismic assessment of the nearly 60-year-old school building.
“The building code back then is substantially different than it is today,” Campbell noted.
Given the cost of a major seismic upgrade, leadership at the school decided “it just made more sense” to rebuild, according to Campbell, who noted the school was originally built to accommodate 250 student. STA currently has an enrolment of more than 600.
The school’s convent, which is on a heritage list, is set to be split with band and drama taking either end of the building. The project also includes new common space for students and a highly anticipated double gym.
While students have “made do,” in part by taking physical education at Mahon Park, the school’s old gym is generally double booked throughout the day, Campbell said.
With thicker windows, better insulation and hot water heating provided by Lonsdale Energy Corporation, the new STA should be much more energy-efficient.
“We’ve been told that’s going to be a huge cost savings,” he said, discussing the link to LEC.
The project was funded through the school’s archdiocese, community supporters and regional parishes.
The school also got a boost from Angus and Margaret Reid, who donated $1 million, and Clement and Docile Pelletier, who contributed $900,000.
Those donations were “essential,” Campbell said, explaining the Diocese was willing to match the school dollar for dollar if they could raise an additional $3 million.
The school continues to raise funds for the project.
Given increasing costs in salaries and utilities, “tuition kind of gets bumped up every year,” Campbell said.
Asked how the school accommodates students during construction, Campbell chuckled.
“Very carefully,” he said. “We had all of our sidewalks ripped out the first day of school when we got back so we’ve been really challenged with access to the school.”
Campbell said he’s hoping to open the doors of the brand new STA in September 2019. “Everybody’s pulling together to make this a reality.”
