Provincial government breaks ground on new Catholic high school in Ontario city

The Durham Catholic District School Board has broken ground on the future home of Paul Dwyer High School in Oshawa, 60 years after the school moved to its familiar west end location on Rossland Road.

The new school will be built at 1001 Greenhill Avenue on the other side of the city and will actually be the school’s third location after first opening as St. Joseph High School on Simcoe Street in 1962 – Oshawa’s first Catholic high school.

Ageing infrastructure at the six-decade old building on Rossland forced the school board to apply for funding for a new school and the province issued its approval to issue a tender for construction, as well as providing a total investment of $71,065,075 which includes additional recent funding of $35.8 million. When complete, the project will deliver 1,061 new secondary student spaces for local families.

Durham Catholic District School Board Chair Monique Forster said the board was “deeply grateful” for the support from Queen’s Park.

“The investment in a new Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School represents an exciting step forward in providing modern, innovative learning environments where students can thrive academically, spiritually, and socially. This project reflects a shared vision for student success and student achievement.”

Since 2018, Ontario has provided nearly $5 billion for major capital projects, including 169 new schools, 124 permanent additions or renovations to existing school buildings and more than 9,600 new licensed childcare spaces in schools.

For the 2025-26 school year, the province is providing $1.4 billion to school boards for school renewal projects.

“Our government is focused on supporting students, teachers and parents while ensuring school boards are equipping our students with the tools they need to succeed,” said Education Minister Paul Calandra. “Once completed, this project will offer an inspiring learning environment that helps students prepare for the jobs of tomorrow.”

The funding for a new replacement Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School in Oshawa is “great news” for the community,” added Durham Riding MPP Todd McCarthy. “Through this investment, we’re getting shovels in the ground to build better schools and creating opportunities for students to thrive today and well into the future.”

The school was renamed Oshawa Catholic High School when it moved to the corner of Stevenson Road and Rossland Road in 1965 and renamed once again in 1976 to Paul Dwyer in honour of Monseigneur Paul Dwyer, who helped establish the school and was also a friend of Pope John XXIII.

A gift of velvet red slippers from the Pope to Dwyer is on permanent display at the school’s main office.