Ottawa Officials Discover Vacant School Sale by Accident, City Knew Since 2018
Ottawa's largest school board, currently under provincial supervision, has listed a vacant school property for sale on Draper Avenue, a move that surprised local elected officials who discovered it by accident. The City of Ottawa confirmed it was aware of the pending sale but determined the property did not meet municipal operational requirements.
Elected Officials Express Surprise and Concern
Ottawa West-Nepean MPP Chandra Pasma and College Ward Councillor Laine Johnson both stated they were taken aback to learn about the sale of the former Grant Alternative School. They only became aware after a real estate sign appeared on the 5.53-acre property.
"The community should have an opportunity to discuss the future of the property for uses such as affordable housing, a medical or recreational facility or a combination of these," Johnson argued during a Tuesday announcement.
Pasma criticized the lack of transparency in the process, noting that OCDSB supervisor Bob Plamondon, appointed by the province last year, is not obligated to hold public meetings. Elected trustees no longer make decisions for the board under provincial supervision.
City's Position on the Property
Lily Xu, the city's interim director of housing solutions, real estate and investments, explained that city staff were aware through regular communications with school board staff about the decision to dispose of the property through a public offering at market value.
"In this case, city staff were aware through regular communications with school board staff of the pending decision to dispose of the property in a public offering at market value," Xu stated in response to media inquiries. "The city was made aware of the school board's final decision to sell the school site at the same time as the general public."
The former Grant Alternative School was closed as an educational facility in 2017. According to Xu, the site was circulated to the city in 2018 for potential acquisition.
"At that time, staff shared the information internally to assess whether the site could meet any city program or operational needs and departments did not identify a requirement for the property," she explained. "As such, the city had no basis to move forward with a market-value acquisition."
Property History and Provincial Context
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the property served as a COVID-19 assessment and care center under a lease agreement that was terminated in early 2023, leaving the building vacant once again.
Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra has repeatedly signaled that school boards running deficits must consider all options, including selling surplus properties or transferring them to other boards with growing enrollment.
City staff have continued to monitor the site's status as part of regular real estate oversight, according to Xu. The property's future remains uncertain as community members and elected officials call for greater transparency and community consultation regarding its disposition.
The situation highlights ongoing tensions between provincial oversight of school boards and local community interests, particularly regarding the disposition of public assets that could potentially serve community needs beyond educational purposes.
