In My Opinion: Secord school and community centre in urgent need of rebuild

By JENNIE WORDEN

Barrington Avenue runs north from Danforth, just a block east of the Main Street subway station. To my mind, it’s a perfect East York street: a mix of single-family homes, semis, townhouses, highrise apartments and even the odd six-plex. It’s walkable, close to transit and it has an elementary school and community centre right on the street.

I’m hardly the only person to see the appeal of this area: The Taylor Massey neighbourhood is one of East York’s fastest-growing communities, with more than 6,500 new housing units proposed, approved or under construction within the school’s catchment area.

Secord Elementary’s enrolment is expected to grow by nearly 900 students by 2033. But there’s a problem. The school is already beyond capacity. Designed for 591 students, it serves nearly 800.

To deal with the problem temporarily, the school board put up a structure of 14 portables. That was more than 20 years ago. Now it’s the oldest Port-a-Pack in Toronto and beyond repair. The main school building is also crumbling, with $8.6 million in repairs needed.

The TDSB (Toronto District School Board) has redrawn boundaries to relieve some of the pressure, but even so, families moving into Taylor Massey must send kids to schools outside their neighbourhood. And the pressure will only grow as new residential towers on Secord and on Eastdale avenues bring in hundreds of new families.

Residents are clear: they know new housing is badly needed. But it needs to come with the infrastructure to support growing communities.

Year after year, the TDSB submits plans to the Ministry of Education for a replacement school that would expand capacity to 940 students. And year after year, the Ministry declines to fund the project.

It should be simple: The school is too old, too small and too run down. The neighbourhood’s population is growing. We need a new school. But with multiple levels of government and departments involved, nothing is simple.

Secord is more than just a school. It’s also home to a city-run community centre offering after-school and summer programming, sports, music and camps. The two buildings share a wall and, like the school, the community centre is stretched beyond capacity.

Replacing one without the other would be expensive, inefficient and a missed opportunity to collaborate on shared spaces. A coordinated rebuild would save money, maximize space and create a true community hub. The Ministry of Education prioritizes projects that integrate schools with other services, such as child care, libraries and community centres.

Rebuilding Secord will require the school board, the city’s parks and recreation department and the Ministry to work together. A commitment to rebuilding the community centre would make the new school exactly the kind of multi-use, shovel-ready project the Ministry claims to want to fund.

The TDSB has already confirmed Secord will be a top capital priority for 2025-26, and Toronto Lands Corporation is ready to fund a feasibility study for a joint rebuild. But so far, city parks and recreation has been silent.

A neighbourhood group, Secord Now, is asking our local representatives to act, and 700 residents have signed a petition calling for our councillor to push for the Secord Community Centre’s replacement to be included in the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Facilities Master Plan and for the department’s participation in a joint feasibility study with the TDSB and Toronto Lands Corporation. It also calls on our MPP to advocate with the Ministry of Education to recognize the need for a new school to accommodate the community as it grows, and for the Ministry of Education to approve funding for the rebuild and deliver on its commitment to provide equitable and sustainable learning environments for all students.

The community is saying, yes, let’s build housing. But let’s also build communities.

This is a test case for Toronto. It’s about how we build the city we want. It’s about kids deserving safe, inspiring places to learn, grow and play right in their communities. And how we all deserve amenities and services that support health, well being and community.

Secord is ready. It’s time for the city and the province to step up.