Name the new public-Catholic elementary school in Cambridge

The next school year will welcome a one-of-a-kind building in Waterloo Region.

A new school for hundreds of both the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) and Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) is set to be ready in September 2026.

The WRDSB has put out a call for help in naming its side of the new building.

It’s already under construction in the southeast area of Cambridge at 605 Wesley Blvd.

Until Friday, Dec. 5, people can put forward their suggestions, with the top ten selected by a naming committee.

Those ten suggestions will then be voted on by the public, with the top three suggestions eventually coming before the WRDSB Board of Trustees, who will have the final say.

“The new elementary school will be a hub in the Southeast Cambridge community and will serve more than just the students, parents, families and caregivers that attend the school. Therefore, the name needs to reflect the values of the community and be a welcoming space for all,” reads a release from the WRDSB.

Name suggestions cannot be a family name, an individual name or a business. The school board is also looking for names that reflect the history and significance of the area.

“Wesley Boulevard falls within The Simcoe Patent – Treaty 4 and the Haldimand Treaty. Established in 1793, the lands allocated for Six Nations under the Simcoe Patent consist of approximately 675,000 acres, being only a portion of the Haldimand Treaty lands.”

In total, the school will be home to nearly 900 students, 519 from the WRDSB and 354 from the WCDSB.

The WCDSB has a different naming process and guidelines, which are faith-based and approved by the Bishop before being voted on by the local school community and then eventually approved by board trustees.

The Catholic board has not yet launched that process for its side of the building.

When ready for students and staff next year, the building will have two separate names and two entrances.