MPP Walker announces new child care spaces at Spruce Ridge Community School

As part of Ontario’s ongoing efforts to build and improve local schools, the province has given Bluewater District School Board approval to proceed to tender a child care centre addition to Spruce Ridge Community School at 239 Kincardine Street South in Durham.

The $1.5 million investment will add a new, quality learning environment for children at Spruce Ridge Community School. This project is part of the province’s capital investment program to build more child care spaces for Ontario’s families.

“The funding for this child care addition to Spruce Ridge Community School is great news for our community,” said MPP Bill Walker, MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound. “This investment will provide choice and flexibility for families and new opportunities for the children of Durham.”

Ontario’s investment in new and updated schools will create the foundation for a modern learning environment for hundreds of students across the province.

“From modernizing our curriculum to revitalizing our classrooms and their facilities, we are investing in our students and giving them every tool to achieve their full potential,” said Education Minister Stephen Lecce. “Progress towards the construction of the child care centre addition Spruce Ridge Community School further demonstrates our government’s commitment to making child care accessible and affordable for working families.”

Highlights of the child care addition include 39 new licensed child care spaces and two new child care rooms.

“We are thrilled to receive this exciting news that the Ministry of Education has given approval to move forward with a tender for a new child care addition at Spruce Ridge Community School,” said Bluewater District School Board Chair Jane Thomson.  “The ministry’s commitment to expand upon the existing program delivered by Durham Kids & Us, by increasing the number of child care spaces in a state-of-the-art new addition, will provide more and better opportunities for our young children and future students.  We are extremely thankful to the ministry for supporting and recognizing the child care needs of our local families, and look forward to collaborating further with our child care partners as this project proceeds.”

The Ontario Government is working with school board partners to invest in capital projects that advance safe and accessible learning opportunities for students.

To create new opportunities for Ontario’s families, the government is investing up to $1 billion to create up to 30,000 new child care spaces in schools over five years.

The Ontario Government also announced in its Budget 2020 that, over the next ten years, Ontario will be investing $13 billion in capital grants, including allocating $550M in 2020-21 for new schools, additions and major renovations.  This massive investment will build new schools and help existing schools after a decade of closures and maintenance backlog.

Ontario is also providing school boards with a historic $1.4 billion in funding to renew and maintain existing schools.  This funding could be used to replace aging heating or air conditioning systems, repair roofs and windows, and install important accessibility features such as elevators and ramps.