Plan to move students from Pape Avenue Junior Public School due to Ontario Line construction to be discussed at TDSB meeting
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) will consider a plan to shutter Pape Avenue Junior Public School this September and move students to another location further north due to safety concerns surrounding ongoing and upcoming construction in the area related to the building of the Ontario Line subway.
The board will discuss the plan at its meeting of the Planning and Priorities Committee on Thursday, Jan. 16. The meeting will take place in the TDSB Boardroom at 5050 Yonge St., starting at 4:30 p.m.
“As you may be aware Metrolinx Ontario Line construction is planned to take place on and around Pape Avenue Junior Public school and the areas used by Pape Children’s House. After learning about the unexpected expropriation of 25 houses on the east side of Pape Avenue and closure of a large portion of the school yard during Metrolinx tunneling, TDSB staff have recommended temporarily relocating Pape School and childcare to Jones School located at 540 Jones (next to Earl Grey school) beginning September 2025,” said Toronto-Danforth Trustee Sara Ehrhardt in a notice to the community.
A report on the board’s plan to move Pape Avenue students to the Jones Avenue School site will be considered at the Jan. 16 meeting. Pape Avenue Junior Public School is located at 220 Langley Ave., just north of the railroad tracks. Along with Metrolinx subway construction, the area of the shopping plaza to the south of the school is planned for large-scale redevelopment as part of the Province of Ontario’s Transit Oriented Communities plan.
The TDSB report recommends the Pape Avenue school be closed for two years, with students relocated to Jones Avenue, for two years while the subway construction work takes place. Return date for the students to Pape Avenue Junior Public School is expected to be Sept. 1, 2027, according to the report.
However, the timing of the return could be “adjusted, with adequate community notice, in the case of unexpected delays” in the subway construction process, said the report.
“The construction activity will change over time and involve micro-tunneling beneath the school’s playground, excavation of the existing sewer pipe under Pape Avenue and subway tunneling beneath Pape Avenue directly in front of the school,” said the report. “The school will experience disruptions such as noise, dust, vibrations, road closures and traffic congestion throughout the various stages of this work. During the major tunnel work, anticipated to start in early 2026, one third of the Pape Avenue Junior Public School school yard will be off limits to students and the childcare.”
To see the full report, please go to https://pub-tdsb.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=189478a1-6988-4839-8d46-e397badf9126&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English
Those wishing to present their views on the recommendation before the TDSB regarding the Pape Avenue school can do so by delegating at the Committee meeting in writing, in person, or virtually. Information on how to do so is available by going to Delegation Process – Addressing a Committee
The deadline for those wishing to make a delegation to register is Tuesday Jan. 14 at 4 p.m.
