Big news for families in the Westshore. Premier David Eby, Minister of Forests and local MLA Ravi Parmar announced today that a brand-new secondary school will be built in our district. When it is complete, it will be the largest secondary school on Vancouver Island with space for 2,000 students.
The new school will be located just off of McCallum Road in Langford. Both Belmont Secondary and Royal Bay Secondary are serving more than 1,800 students each, well beyond their intended capacity. This project will bring much needed relief for students, staff and families across the region.
What comes next
The district is moving into the design and planning stage now. The goal is to put out a construction tender in late 2026 and begin building in early 2027. If the project stays on track, the school is expected to open its doors in 2033. That may feel far away, but for many of our younger learners it will be just in time for their high school years. At today’s event, Grade 5 students from Millstream Elementary joined the announcement. They are expected to move into the new secondary school when it opens in 2030 and will graduate from it in 2033. While older students will graduate ahead of them, this group will attend most of their high school years in the new building. It was a powerful full-circle moment as MLA Ravi Parmar, who became a student at Millstream Elementary 21 years ago, returned to celebrate this milestone alongside today’s students.
The school does not yet have a name. The Board of Education will be leading a formal process that includes public input, so the community will help decide how this future school will be known.
Why this matters
Board Chair Amanda Dowhy captured the spirit of the moment in her remarks:
“A school designed for 2,000 students is more than a building. It is a statement of confidence in our community, recognition of the families who call this region home, and a symbol of our shared vision.”
Since 2017, the province has invested more than 500 million dollars in our district. This is the largest period of investment in our history and it reflects a clear commitment to our students, families and staff. Today’s announcement continues that momentum.
We will continue to share updates as the project moves forward and we look forward to celebrating each milestone with our community.