St. Mary school held their official grand opening ceremony on Thursday, September 15, 2022, following an extended disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic. Invited to speak at the opening ceremony were Brendan Hyatt and David Sharp, who served as Director of Education and Chair, respectively, of the Northwest Catholic District School Board (TNCDSB) at the time of the school’s completion, along with Thunder Bay Diocese Bishop Fred Coli, St. Mary’s Parish Father Gino Mathias, and local elder Florence Yerxa. TNCDSB’s current Director of Education Jackie Robinson served as host and emcee of the ceremony, which also featured a ribbon cutting, blessing of the school by Bishop Coli and a closing drum song by Linda Guimond and Lavana Fox. Following the opening ceremony, parents and students were invited to take tours of the new building, meet with staff and teachers, and plant trees on the schoolgrounds. –Ken Kellar photos
