Stittsville is getting its first new Catholic high school in nearly two decades.
The Ottawa Catholic School Board has broken ground on Fernbank Catholic High School at the corner of Cope Drive and Atlas Terrace. The school, the board's first new Catholic high school since 2009, is expected to open in September 2028.
What we know so far
The school will sit on an 18-acre site and will welcome students from Grade 7 through Grade 12. It will have space for 1,439 students.
According to the Ottawa Catholic School Board, the project represents a $66.6 million provincial investment in Catholic education.
The school has a working name — Fernbank Catholic High School — but a final name has not yet been chosen. The board says that decision, along with plenty of other work, still lies ahead before the doors open.
Why Stittsville
Stittsville has grown rapidly in recent years, and the board says many new families have settled in the community. That growth has driven demand for more school space, and the new high school is meant to give more students the chance to attend a Catholic high school closer to home.
The board says the school will give students a place to learn, develop their interests and build a school community of their own — academically, socially and spiritually, from their first days in Grade 7 to graduation.
What happens next
Construction is now underway following the groundbreaking. The board says it expects to welcome the first students through the doors in September 2028.
Families in the area can watch for further details from the Ottawa Catholic School Board as construction progresses, including the naming of the school and, eventually, information about registration and attendance boundaries.
