Province fires contractor building delay-plagued school in northern Ontario

A contractor building a school in northern Ontario that has been plagued by delays has been let go by the provincial government.

Education Minister Paul Calandra made the announcement Wednesday morning in a letter posted on the Near North District School Board’s website.

In it, Calandra said the NNDSB’s contract with the company building the school in Parry Sound, Ont., has been terminated following an “extensive period of review and engagement, including formal notices of default and opportunity for the contractor to resolve the outstanding concerns of NNDSB.”

The NNDSB was placed under provincial supervision in December 2025 due to what Calandra said was “incompetence” within the board impacting student achievement.

“After careful consideration, NNDSB has determined that continuing under the existing arrangement would place the project’s successful completion and timeline at risk,” Wednesday’s letter reads.

“As of today, NNDSB has regained full control of the project and is taking the necessary steps to ensure it is completed to the standard our community expects and deserves. This action was taken as a last resort and reflects the board’s responsibility to intervene when a major capital project is no longer on a reliable path forward.”

The inexperience of the board, actions of some individual trustees and “absence of leadership” from the director of education contributed to the problems surrounding the long-delayed opening of the school, a report by a senior education minister bureaucrat found in September 2025.

The board began planning more than 10 years ago to close two elementary schools and the Parry Sound High School and build a new JK-12 school.

Parents had been told since 2023 that the new school would open in September 2025, but they were informed just weeks before the start of this school year that that wouldn’t happen, the report said.

Parry Sound High School students were told one week before the start of school that they would begin the school year virtually, as the partially demolished building wasn’t fit for occupancy. They were eventually told they could return to school in person on Sept. 15.

“NNDSB remains fully committed to delivering this state-of-the-art school safely and on target for opening in September 2026. We will secure a new general contractor and maintain close oversight of the project to support a smooth transition and minimize disruption,” the letter states.

“Our focus is firmly on students and families, and on ensuring public resources are managed responsibly and in the best interests of the community.”