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20 years after moving into a renovated heritage building at 67 Bond Street in Downtown Toronto, St. Michael's Choir School (SCMS) is gearing up for a rebuilding project. Earlier this week, the Province of Ontario announced that funding would be provided to modernize and rebuild the facility, providing over 500 students with improved learning spaces.
The announcement came on Wednesday afternoon when Ontario Minister of Education, Indira Naidoo-Harris, was joined by Daiene Vernile, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport; Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance; and Bishop Robert Kasun, Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Toronto, at St. Michael's Choir School.
With $11.2 million in funds to be provided by the province, the KPMB Architects-led rebuild project aims to consolidate buildings housing St. Michael’s Choir School and the new Centre for Evangelization, while opening up the potential for mixed-use development on the site. Plans call for the preservation of existing heritage elements of the current school, and a retained link to the adjacent St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica.
An auditorium and rehearsal space within the modernized building would be made available to the public, serving as a community and creative hub. The earmarking of this funding is part of the province's strategy to enrich locally-driven community hubs by building upon community partnerships and capitalizing on public spaces.
A statement issued by Ontario's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Daiene Vernile, reads “The arts play such an important role in communities across our great province. This investment will provide students from St. Michael’s Choir School with the opportunity to continue to enjoy the school’s rich music program for years to come and to share their talent with the community and the world.”
We'll be sure to keep an eye out and provide updates an new information emerges. In the meantime, you can find out more in our dedicated Forum thread for the project, or let us know what you think in the comments section provided below.
