High school students in Leamington will be able to acquire valuable new skill sets now that programs in electrical and aesthetics have been launched at a new satellite campus for Cardinal Carter Catholic Secondary School.
The satellite campus is located at the former Queen of Peace Catholic Elementary School, which closed in 2016 after an accommodation review process. A hairstyling and aesthetics program started there in in September of 2025 and the new Electrical Academy program started when second semester began on February 2, 2026.
During an official opening ceremony at the school this week, Director of Education Emelda Byrne expressed her gratitude to the Ministry of Education for granting the board permission to reopen the school in January of 2025, and to the Board of Trustees for approving a recommendation to open a wing of the school to accommodate the new programs shortly after that.
“Our Catholic school board is committed to creating a culture of innovation that offers diverse and responsive programs that support a variety of student pathways in such areas as skilled trades and STEM,” she said. “The fact that this extremely well-equipped facility is mere steps away from Cardinal Carter makes these programs easily accessible for our students.”
Mary DiMenna, the WECDSB’s Trustee for the Leamington area, has been advocating for bringing similar skilled trades academy programs that are offered in Windsor schools to her community, and said she is delighted that they are now being offered at the Queen of Peace satellite campus.
“Students who are in these programs are going to be learning the kinds of skills that many of our local employers are looking for, which will allow them to stay in our community,” said DiMenna, who used to teach at the elementary school. “This is very exciting news for Leamington.”
“These new hands-on programs at Cardinal Carter’s satellite campus are fantastic news for students in Leamington and across Essex County,” said Andrew Dowie, MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh. “By expanding access to high-quality skilled trades training, we’re giving young people more pathways to develop in-demand skills and set themselves up for rewarding, successful careers.”
Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald said news that the Queen of Peace site would be reopened was greeted with great excitement throughout the community.
“Programs like these play an important role in preparing the next generation of skilled professionals while supporting the needs of employers here in Leamington,” she said. “Providing students with access to hands-on training in areas like electrical and aesthetics helps create pathways to rewarding careers while contributing to the continued growth and success of our community.”
