New elementary school opens in Kitchener despite ongoing construction

Some students in Kitchener started their school year in a building that’s still under construction. CTV’s Heather Senoran takes a look.

Kitchener’s newest elementary school opened its doors for the first time on Wednesday, even though construction continues inside and outside the building.

The Waterloo Region District School Board previously promised that Willow River Public School, at 670 Thomas Slee Drive in the city’s south end, would be ready to welcome staff and students on Sept. 3.

“While some construction work will continue into the fall, everything will be safe, set and ready for student learning!” they said in a June 26 social media post. “A few classes will begin in temporary rooms and three portables will be in use to support students during this final phase.”

Fences were placed around the property, while siding was still missing in some places as of Wednesday.

“I think, from what was explained to me, the construction is all at the far end of the building,” one parent told CTV News. “The parts where the students will be, especially the kindergarten kids, is separate.”

“The kids’ safety is their number one priority, so I’m OK,” another parent said. “I know that they would not have put our kids in there if it wasn’t.”

Scott Miller, the school board’s director of education, blamed the weather for some of the construction delays.

Until the work is done, students will be kept away from the unfinished sections of the building.

“There will be no situation where students and staff are interacting with any of the construction,” Miller said.

Some students have been placed in temporary classrooms until the permanent ones are ready. Portables were also brought in to ease any possible congestion inside the building.

“We [do not] quite have full occupancy yet and know that will be a bit of a process,” Miller said. “On Oct. 1, we’ll have further occupancy of the school and looking, at that point, to at least have the gym available to us. Then, into December, we would have occupancy of the school.”

The Waterloo Region District School Board said there was room for 600 students at Willow River Public School but, as of Wednesday, the student population was closer to 300. They expected enrollment to rise as the community grows.

The planning process for Willow River Public School began in 2020. Sustainable practices were used throughout construction, while the design of the building was touted as environmentally-friendly.

“We used an Indigenous firm to help support the building of the school, so [there’s] Indigenous features throughout,” Miller added.

Families who arrived for the first day of classes at Willow River Public School were impressed with what they saw.

“It’s very nice inside,” one parent observed. “It is very modern. Bright, fresh colours, a whole library full of new books for them to explore. Everything’s new.”

- With reporting by Heather Senoran