November 3, 2023, Brantford, ON – The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB) had its official groundbreaking ceremony for St. Padre Pio Catholic Secondary School. Joining the Trustees of the Board, staff, and project partners were the Honourable Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Education; Dr. Will Bouma, MPP for Brantford-Brant; His Worship Kevin Davis, Mayor of the City of Brantford; and City of Brantford Ward 3 Councilors, Greg Martin and Dan McCreary. The site was blessed by the Very Reverend Monsignor Murray Kroetsch, Chancellor of the Diocese of Hamilton.
St. Padre Pio Catholic Secondary School is the Board’s newest Catholic secondary school and is being constructed on the north side of Powerline Road, between Greenfield and Old Farm roads in Brantford. The school, required due to steady and consistent increased enrolment in Brantford and area Catholic schools, is being fast-tracked to ensure that it is ready to welcome students in September 2026.
“We are determined to build schools and expansions faster, part of our commitment to modernize schools in fast growing communities,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “We are proud to deliver a new, state-of-the-art, St. Padre Pio Catholic Secondary School for Brantford families, along with increasing funding, staffing and a back-to-basics focus on reading, writing and math skills to help ensure students graduate with confidence that they can succeed in good-paying careers.”
“We are incredibly proud of this new Catholic secondary school,” said Chair Rick Petrella. “Not only will it provide much-needed space and new and innovative programming for our secondary students, but it will also provide a 128-spot full-service child care centre for the community. I would like to extend my thanks to the Ministry of Education, the Ontario government, and municipal partners for their continued support of Catholic education and the BHNCDSB community.”
Photo cutline (left to right): Trustee, Bill Chopp; Manager of Facilities, Lou Citino; Superintendent of Business, Scott Keys; Director of Education, Mike McDonald; His Worship Kevin Davis, Mayor of the City of Brantford; City of Brantford Ward 3 Councilor, Dan McCreary; the Very Reverend Monsignor Murray Kroetsch, Chancellor of the Diocese of Hamilton; Chair of the Board, Rick Petrella; Dr. Will Bouma, MPP for Brantford-Brant; Honourable Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Education; City of Brantford Ward 3 Councilor, Greg Martin; Trustee, Dan Dignard.
The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board offers faith-based education serving nearly 13,000 students from Six Nations of the Grand River, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Brant, Haldimand, and Norfolk Counties, and the City of Brantford. The district has over 1,700 full and part-time staff committed to Belonging, Teaching and Learning, and Wellness for all.
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For more information about this release contact:
Tracey Austin | Manager of Communications and Community Relations | Privacy Officer
Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board
Catholic Education Centre | 322 Fairview Drive, P.O. Box 217 | Brantford, ON N3T 5M8
P: 519.756.6505 Ext. 11234 | C: 519.732.5282 | E: taustin@bhncdsb.ca
Excellence in Learning ~ Living in Christ
