CALEDONIA—A full house of parents and students gathered on Monday, October 6, 2025 to celebrate the grand opening of both Grand River Public School and Pope Francis Catholic Elementary School in Caledonia.
The two schools, housed in one large building with shared amenities, have been in development since 2021, when the provincial government allocated $20.4 million in funds toward construction with the goal of adding up to 746 seats for local students and 49 childcare spaces to accommodate growth from the Avalon subdivision.
Ground was broken on the new school in May 2024, with the doors first opening to students this September.
CALEDONIA—The day included a tree planting ceremony at Grand River Public School. Shown are attendees (back row) Director of Education JoAnna Roberto, Principal Mark Fraser, Superintendent of Education Julie White, Janice Doyle, Trustee Brian Doyle, Superintendent of Business Raf Wyszynski, Senior Manager of Facilities Frank Mesicek, Student Trustee Prabhsidak Singh, (middle row) GEDSB Chair Susan Gibson, speaker Caroline VanEvery-Albert, student Kayatyenens VanEvery-Lefort, Trustee Claudine VanEvery-Albert, Trustee Carol Ann Sloat, Indigenous Student Trustee Ryleigh Staats, Trustee John Bradford, and (front, holding shovel) Vice-Principal Palwinder Kaur. —Haldimand Press photos by Mike Renzella. 
CALEDONIA—Students were involved in various aspects of the opening ceremony and were joined by their families in the crowd. 
CALEDONIA—Students were involved in various aspects of the opening ceremony and were joined by their families in the crowd.
Judging by the enthusiastic crowd at the grand opening, the schools have been extremely well received by the community utilizing them.
Several representatives from both Grand Erie District School Board (GEDSB) and Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB) spoke at the event.
GEDSB Director of Education JoAnna Roberto praised Grand River Public School’s educators and staff on an “incredible job to open the classroom doors.”
To the students, she said, “We couldn’t do it without you. I thank all of you in this gymnasium this evening. I hope that Grand River is a place where you ask old questions, where you lean into challenges, and where you grow into tomorrow’s leaders.”
BHNCDSB Director of Education Mike McDonald shared the sentiment, adding, “This is your school, your home for learning, and your place to dream infinitely of the future God is calling you to shape. It is my hope that Pope Francis Elementary will always be a beacon of light and joy for this Caledonia community, where faith and education walk hand in hand to educate the leaders of tomorrow to prepare them to guide us to our preferred future.”
McDonald praised the collaborative spirit guiding the two schools, stating, “Our ability to come together personifies for our students what it means to live the values we espouse in teaching: unity, collaboration, support, and respect.”
Pope Francis Principal Kerri Lomax marked the day as more than the opening of a new building, but a new chapter in the community’s story. She shared the school’s motto, ‘Rising in faith, together we soar’, noting that it “captures our shared commitment to lift one another up in faith, learning, and community. This faith also reflects the power of partnership. Our school is joined with our neighbours at Grand Erie.”
Lomax praised Grand River Public School Principal Mark Fraser: “We share a vision of working side by side, not as two separate schools, but as one community, united in our care for children and families,” said Lomax. “May this school always be a place of welcome, where faith is alive, learning is celebrated, and every child knows they belong.”
Fraser shared, “This past month, the hallways of this building have been filled with smiling faces, wide open eyes of excitement, high fives, fist bumps, laughter, banter, and possibility.”
He continued, “In the four weeks since we opened our doors to students and families for the first time, after so many months of anticipation, we have become Grand River Public School. This is not just a school, and this is not just a building. It is the heart of our community.”
Following the assembly and a pair of ribbon cutting ceremonies both inside and outside, students and their families were given the chance to wander the hallways and explore the classrooms and areas that will now be home to a new generation of local students.
Outside, in the field behind the school, a white pine was planted.
Caroline VanEvery-Albert, a Mohawk member of Turtle Clan, spoke about its significance.
“For us, the white pine, which we call tsionerahtase’kó:wa, is important for many reasons. The most important one for us, is it’s a symbol of our laws,” said VanEvery-Albert, whose daughter Kayatyenens VanEvery-Lefort spoke to the assembled crowd in the gymnasium earlier in her native language.
“The reason the white pine was chosen was because the roots go out into the four directions. Those people who wish to follow our ways can come and take shelter under the roots, under the branches of the tree, by following the roots back to the tree of peace,” said VanEvery-Albert. “The tree is a symbol of peace, but it’s also a symbol of unity and of strength.”
She continued, “It will be the school’s responsibility to watch over this tree and help it grow.”
