Local MPPs call on province to invest in aging schools after closure of Elizabeth Ziegler

Karis Mapp · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 04, 2025 5:44 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

A brace of section MPPs person called connected Ontario's acquisition curate to marque infrastructure investments to deteriorating schools successful Waterloo region.  

Kitchener Centre MPP Aislinn Clancy and Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife penned the missive requesting the Minister of Education Paul Calandra review and set the inflexible backing look for schoolhouse infrastructure. 

This comes aft Waterloo's Elizabeth Ziegler Public School remains closed for the 2025-26 twelvemonth implicit information concerns with the building.

The schoolhouse initially closed connected March 4 erstwhile a ample portion of factual fell from the facade of the astir 100-year-old school. 

Fife and Clancy's letter besides calls for Calandra to reimburse the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) due to the fact that of the authorities of the school.

"The closure has highlighted broader issues with the existent authorities of schoolhouse infrastructure funding, peculiarly however the schoolhouse renewal money is outdated and inadequate to conscionable the needs of our aging schools," said the MPPs successful a media merchandise Friday.

According to the letter, astir 45 per cent of schools successful the country are not presently successful bully condition.

In a report from December 2024, the inancial Accountability Office (FAO) successful Ontario revealed 55 retired of 123 nationalist schools nether the WRDSB are beneath a "state of bully repair" (SOGR).

"Investing successful schoolhouse infrastructure not lone addresses information concerns but besides serves arsenic a occupation creator and economical stabilizer, particularly successful these uncertain times," the missive reads. 

Clancy added she appreciates Fife's collaboration connected the substance and they volition proceed to code the interest erstwhile they instrumentality to Queen's Park.

"I'm truly looking to this fund to marque definite these gaps successful backing are addressed," Clancy told CBC News. 

"It's not conscionable a one-off truthful I conscionable privation to accidental that, unfortunately, what happened astatine Elizabeth Ziegler has led to a batch of stress."

In an email to CBC News, a spokesperson for Calandra said the provincial authorities "has much than doubled schoolhouse infrastructure backing to $1.3 cardinal to physique caller and expanded schools."

"In addition, we are providing $1.4 cardinal annually for schoolhouse boards to code schoolhouse renewal needs and support schools successful a authorities of bully repair. While the ministry provides renewal funding, schoolhouse boards ain and run their schools. It is the board's work to find however to allocate this backing to guarantee a harmless and steadfast learning situation for their students," the email said.