Maplewood Secondary School to open Monday, city gives 50 per cent occupancy permit

Maplewood Secondary School on Cope Drive in Stittsville. Sept. 17, 2024. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

Maplewood Secondary School is scheduled to open Monday after receiving a permit Friday morning allowing 50 per cent of the building to be occupied.

John Buck, chief building official, told CTV News Ottawa in a statement the cafeteria and the gym are not allowed to open.

"The remainder of the building, including the cafeteria and gym, is not currently permitted to be occupied and will continue to be inspected and evaluated against the Ontario Building Code's occupancy criteria as construction in these areas progresses," said Buck.

The city told CTV News in a statement the inspection process is ongoing.

"In the interest of time, right now all we have is that city inspectors continue to carry out the regular inspection process. We don't have further details regarding the permits at this time," reads the statement.

The school was scheduled to welcome students right after Labour Day, but construction delays have pushed the opening back twice. On Sept. 6, families were told the school should be open by Sept. 17, but on Monday afternoon, they were told the school still couldn't open. The delay has left students in limbo.

Grade 7 and 8 students were sent to a nearby school but began learning at home last week, so teachers could prepare their classrooms at Maplewood.

The school will share more details with students and their parents.