Ottawa’s French public school board breaks ground on new south Orléans high school

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Mer-Bleue Road in Orléans on Feb. 4, 2026, for the new South Orléans Public High School, set to open in 2027. (Shaun Vardon/CTV News Ottawa)

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday for a new secondary school in Orléans.

The Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario (CEPEO) held an event at the future site of the new school on Mer-Bleue Road near Renaud Road.

“The construction of this school marks the realization of a common goal: that of offering our community a new, modern school, adapted to the real needs of families now and in the future,” said CEPEO President Jacinthe Marcil in a news release, translated from French. “I want to thank the Government of Ontario for the financing for this project.”

The school board says the province provided more than $33 million for the new school.

The school, known currently as école secondaire publique Orléans-Sud (South Orléans Public High School), is slated to open in time for the 2027-2028 school year. It will have 713 student spaces for kids in grades 7 to 12.

“This school will meet the growing demand for quality French-language education in Orléans, which is a stronghold of the Franco-Ontarian community,” said CEPEO Director of Education Christian-Charle Bouchard, translated from French. “It will become a place of learning, gathering, identity and pride for the students who walk through its doors.”

The new high school will be located close to the future école élémentaire publique Orléans-Sud (South Orléans Public Elementary School), which is located on Monardia Way and is expected to open this September. That school will have 354 student spaces and a daycare that will accommodate up to 10 infants, 15 toddlers, and 24 preschoolers.

The CEPEO says having the two schools close together will make the transition from elementary to secondary school easier on students by allowing them to remain in the same neighbourhood.

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