HWDSB searches for solution for former Sir John A. Macdonald site

The Hamilton Public School Board (HWDSB) says it is ready to find a meaningful solution for the property of the former Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School, a site that has been vacant for five years.

This comes a day after Ontario’s Education Minister, Stephen Lecce, said the province is prepared to force the board to sell the property if it continues “hoarding” it.

Lecce says, if the school boards are not going to end the territorialism, and land hoarding, then the government has the power to act.

At a press conference Thursday, Education Minister Lecce was asked about the large property where the former Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School building has remained vacant for years — amid the ongoing affordable housing crisis.

Minister Lecce says, The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, which was passed last June, can allow the province to force school boards to do something with excess property, but Lecce said they don’t want to use the law but are prepared if they need to. “We’ll work with them to obviously ensure that land can be unlocked and sold to the market,” says Lecce.

The former school is located at 130 York Blvd. The school first opened in 1970 and closed in 2019, since then the building has been empty.

On Friday, the HWDSB said it has plans for the 700-acre property, but the ministry has denied their proposals for a new school and community hub — four times.

Todd White a Ward 5 and Ward 10 HWDSB trustee, says, “we pitched that model, and while we had the partners on board, the minister and the Ministry of Education has denied the education component on that site.”

White says the board would like to see Hess Street Elementary School and Strathcona Elementary School combined into one on the property.

“We see it as quite frankly a challenge, and we’re up for that challenge, but we’ve always been willing to look at alternate routes, as long as we can service our students in downtown Hamilton. We do see plenty of opportunity with the site and we look forward to the next steps in terms of conversations and planning,” said White.

White says the board will continue to pursue talks with the province, the city, and the community.

Hamilton mayor Andrea Horwath says the priority of the site should be affordable housing and education.

“I really do think it’s the local folks who know on the ground what’s happening in our community, both in terms of housing and in terms of education. I would just like to see partnership there, rather than forcing someone’s hand to make a decision that might not be the right one,” says Mayor Horwath