After eight years of acquiring project funding and on-going construction work, the Essex District High School (EDHS) staff and students celebrated the completion of their new high school in 2015.
Project details
The plan was executed in four phases to avoid relocating the entire student population during the construction. The following project details and timeline include:
- Cost: $18,562,000
- Pupil places: 700
- Architect: Architecttura Inc.
- General contractor: Wincon
- Construction start date: July 2013
- Phase 1 and 2 completed: January 2015
- Project completion date: July 2015
Celebration of completion
A Celebration of completion event was hosted to mark EDHS' history and to recognize the school's achievement with the new building joined by staff, students and community members. View a reflection video created by the EDHS Leadership Class where students and staff talk about their excitement and the differences between their old building and the new one.
History
The EDHS building was rebuilt in 1921 after a fire destroyed the original structure. The high school underwent many renovations and additions but never received a full, proper renovation. The Board and community sought funding from the Ministry of Education. After an initial budget proposal of $6.8 million, the Ministry approved the grant of $18.6 million for the school to be renovated properly.