Rae Announces Completion of School Addition in Listowel

[Listowel, ON] – Today, Matthew Rae, MPP for Perth-Wellington, announced that the new addition at Listowel Eastdale Public School will be welcoming new students in September for the 2024-25 school year. This project is a part of Ontario’s ongoing efforts to build and improve local schools, with the province providing Avon Maitland District School Board with $8.8 million for the construction of the new school addition in Listowel. 

“The completion of the new classrooms at Listowel Eastdale Public School is welcomed news for our community,” said MPP Mathew Rae. “This investment will ensure families and students have access to a quality learning environment for years to come.” 

This project delivers an additional 98 elementary spaces for local families for the 2024-25 school year, and an additional 49 child care spaces expected to be completed at the beginning of 2025. 

“We are very pleased that the construction project funded by the Ontario Government at Listowel Eastdale Public School will soon be complete,” said Graham Shantz, Director of Education for the Avon Maitland District School Board. “The four classrooms, which are open for students as of September 5th, are a very welcome and much needed addition to our school. This space, along with three new childcare spaces slated for completion in the new year, will enable us, supported by our Child Care partners, to support families in Listowel and meet our joint goal of expanding childcare and elementary school spaces.” 

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. 

“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 parents, which is why we took action, and we are now proud to deliver this critical expansion at Listowel Eastdale Public 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.”