Peering into the wilderness at the site of Trillium Lakelands District School Board’s (TLDSB) future outdoor education and Indigenous centre in Minden last week, Wasauksing First Nation elder, Dave Rice, said the facility will become a vital olive branch reconnecting youth with nature.
The school board held a groundbreaking ceremony at the 90-plus acre property Friday (Oct. 30), with several TLDSB officials and politicians attending.
Rice, who has been part of the Indigenous learning team at TLDSB for 11 years, believes this is one of the most significant projects he’s been involved in.
“This space, once built, is going to provide opportunities for kids to build a relationship with the earth,” Rice said. “I’ve always said children need to be outside more. Some of them need to be out among nature to release their energy, but also to learn in a space and environment that feels comfortable.”
TLDSB chief education officer, Wes Hahn, said providing more opportunities for youth has been a key theme of the project.
Board blames tariffs for $3.8M tag
The build was announced last February. It was projected to be a $1.2 million project with a spring 2027 opening. Hahn said those benchmarks have changed, with TLDSB now estimating a $3.8 million bill and a completion by spring 2028.
“We had to do another cost analysis because of the tariffs and increased manufacturing costs,” Hahn told The Highlander.
He added Minden Hills staff flagged issues with the original design. “We had some rerouting of municipal services… because of the size and type of piping required, it’s going to cost us a little more to complete that underground work,” Hahn added.
Hahn said the spend is still coming from reserves.
“This is possible because of that fiscally responsible piece. If we were running deficit budgets every year, we wouldn’t be getting this project,” Hahn said.
The 3,000 sq. ft. building will be located a few hundred metres from Archie Stouffer Elementary School. There will be a large indoor gathering space, kitchenette and washroom facilities. Outside, there will be a gazebo with a fire pit, and several kilometres of walking trails. It will be used year-round and is designed for day trips, not overnight stays.
There will be programming from Kindergarten to Grade 12, with input from the Indigenous community. Rice sees potential for all manner of hands-on learning.
“Different plants and the medicines they make, how we harvest trees and when the right time to do that is. Being able to track what kind of animals are living in the area… hosting big powwows.”
A pre-consultation meeting at the site in late October attracted 30 companies. The construction contract is open for bids, closing later this month.
