VIDEO: Official Grand Opening of Swift Waters Elementary School Held Thursday Morning

Brockville – The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) held the Grand Opening of the new Swift Waters Elementary School in Brockville on Thursday, September 19th.

Local dignitaries, community members along with the Ontario Minister of Education Jill Dunlop were on hand for the ribbon cutting and tour of the new school.

This is the first new school in fifty years to open in Brockville. The last one was Vanier Public School in the north end of the City which opened in 1973.

Construction of the school began in October 2022 and moved quickly with some aspects being completed ahead of schedule. It opened to students on September 4, 2024.

The school opened with 425 students enrolled and has a capacity of 504. Tt brings together students from Toniata Public School and Commonwealth Public School, both of which closed at the end of June 2024.

“As a parent, I know families in growing areas of Ontario need to have access to modern schools close to home in their local community and that’s why building more schools is a key part of our Building Ontario plan,” says Jill Dunlop, Minister of Education. “Our government is proud to deliver the largest one year investment in new schools in Ontario history and I’m excited to work with all our partners in education to support these vital infrastructure projects.”

“With the official opening of Swift Waters Elementary School, our government is delivering on a commitment we made to parents in our community to invest in the future of our children,” says Steve Clark, MPP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. “Congratulations to the Upper Canada District School Board and all involved in the construction of this beautiful facility and a huge thanks to staff for working tirelessly to get the school ready to welcome students. We can all take pride in this modern learning environment for educators to inspire and challenge students to reach their full potential and empower them to chase big dreams.”

The school has 17 regular classrooms, four Kindergarten rooms, a large gym and learning commons, in addition to an outdoor space with six play structures, a soccer field and open green space. The modern facility boasts several green initiatives including solar panels and electric car charging stations.

This school will also serve as a community hub for new families to the area, with its three dedicated EarlyON rooms. EarlyON provides provincial programming for families and children from birth to 6 years old. There is also onsite child care with 64 spaces.

“This has been such an exciting time for our students and staff. It’s truly been a historical event for all of us. Being a part of opening this new school has been an unforgettable learning experience for our staff and our students. I’m looking forward to the memories that will be made in this building,” says Sarah Stone, Principal of Swift Waters ES.

“We want to thank the Ministry of Education for their support in making this new school a reality in our community, and also thank MPP Steve Clark for his constant support,” says UCDSB Chair Jamie Schoular. “We are excited for this new school to become a hub of activity, connecting students, families and the community.”