When the former Doctor MacDougall Public School in North Bay re-opens later this year, it will have several new programs under its roof including a childcare section.
Joe Bradbury, the CAO of the Nipissing DSSAB, says other programs at the former school will be announced in the near future.
The DSSAB bought the school last year and it will undergo renovations to repurpose the building.
The venture is a collaborative project with the Nipissing First Nation and North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre.
The child care component has space for 57 children and Bradbury says about 30 people will have jobs under that program.
In total, the revamped facility will have about 100 full and part-time positions covering several areas including medical staff and early childhood educators.
Bradbury points out the Ontario Early Years program will have a First Nation cultural element to it however it will be all-inclusive meaning non-Indigenous children can also be part of it.
Bradbury says the project came about as a result of the DSSAB talking to First Nations to see what needs they had in their respective communities.
“First Nation children are the fastest growing demographics in the community and we want to make sure that we have the best supports in the community that are culturally appropriate,” Bradbury said.
The project is expected to have federal and provincial help with the DSSAB applying for government funding.
Bradbury expects the renovated facility to reopen in late fall or early winter.
He says there’s enough parking at the school to accommodate the newly created jobs.
The school sits on a four-acre site and is 24,000 square feet in size.