Ontario Building New School in Belle River 

As part of the province’s ongoing efforts to build and improve local schools, the Ontario government has provided the Greater Essex County District School Board with approval to issue the tender for the new Lakeshore Elementary School to create more student spaces. This is supported by a total investment of $22.97 million; originally approved for $13 million, the Ontario government provided an additional $9.9 million to proceed to tender.

Once completed, this project will deliver 582 new elementary student spaces for local families. The investment is part of Ontario’s commitment to providing about $16 billion to support school construction, renewal and improvement over 10 years. Since 2018, the government has approved or supported the development of over 300 school-related projects including child care, of which more than 100 are actively under construction.

“The Doug Ford government believes in building new schools,” said Anthony Leardi, MPP for Essex. “This will be the fourth new school built in the Riding of Essex since this government was elected. We built new schools in Lasalle, Amherstburg, and Kingsville. Now Belle River is going to get a new school, too. Premier Doug Ford is committed to building Ontario.”

Additionally, Ontario is taking action to ensure that school board capital assets are used effectively and efficiently to meet the needs of growing communities, support student learning and ensure value for taxpayer dollars. The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023 empowers decision-makers to build modern schools faster by better utilizing school capacity, reducing barriers for school boards to facilitate agreements for schools in multi-use buildings such as condo towers, and shortening planning time through design standardization when constructing, renovating, or making additions to schools.

“As a mother, I understand that the local school really is the heart of the community, and that it’s so important for young families to have a school that’s close to home,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Education. “Our government is listening to hard-working moms and dads, which is why we are proud to deliver a new, state-of-the-art Lakeshore Elementary School for local families, along with increasing funding, staffing and a back-to-basics focus on reading, writing and math to help ensure students graduate with the fundamental skills they need to succeed.” 

“Under Premier Ford’s leadership, we’re building more state-of-the-art schools to support the needs of Ontario’s students, families and growing communities. By investing in innovative and modern learning spaces, we’re ensuring students have access to the quality education that will provide them with lifelong skills and education in a safe and healthy environment,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “These investments are one of the ways we’re delivering on our promise to build Ontario, with an infrastructure budget of more than $190 billion over the next decade.”

Lakeshore Elementary School will be located at Rourke Line Road and Girard Drive in Belle River, Lakeshore.