Brébeuf students celebrate new wing
Members of David Curto’s vocal class at St. Jean de Brébeuf Catholic Secondary School said it with song.
Singing “A Whole New Wing,” based on “A Whole New World,” from the popular animated movie “Aladdin,” the students closed out a dedication ceremony for a new $4.4-million addition at the east Mountain school Friday morning.
After two years of manoeuvring around ongoing construction, staff and students from the school, along with representatives from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, celebrated the new addition in the school’s newly upgraded theatre after a brief blessing by Reverend Mark Gatto.
The project added 7,804 square feet (725 cubic metres) to the formerly crowded secondary school located on Acadia Drive just off Upper Sherman Avenue.
Additions included a main entrance, foyer and common space, five additional classrooms, a universal washroom and upgrades to the theatre, music room and kitchen.
Part of the renovation included repurposing another 5,382 square feet (500 cubic metres) from the old administrative offices for ESL/ELL classrooms and an eco room.
The additions have also allowed the school of 1700 students to decrease the number of portable classrooms from 20 to 13.
“It’s been so exciting to see it from the planning stage to right now,” said principal Hermon Mayers after the dedication ceremony. “We’re very excited about the future.”
Board chairperson Pat Daly said it’s been hard for the board to accommodate population growth on the Mountain and into Binbrook.
When building a new school like Bishop Ryan isn’t feasible, the option of retrofitting a school is one way to create more room. It is often more difficult than building a brand new school as students and staff have to deal with the ongoing construction while still using the building.
The age of the building can also make retrofits more difficult. And Brébeuf is no spring chicken. The building originally opened in 1964 as Southmount Secondary School in the public board. The HWCDSB took over the school in the mid-1980s.