Northern Ontario former school board chair urges province to protect elected boards

Jay Aspin, former chair of the Near North District School Board, urged Ontario's government to protect democratically elected school boards after trustees were dismissed in December 2025; Minister Paul Calandra has taken control of the board and cancelled the contractor on the delayed Parry Sound school project.

Speculation that Ontario may eliminate elected school boards has prompted growing opposition, including from Jay Aspin, a long-time trustee and former MP in northern Ontario. Aspin served as chair of the Near North District School Board for 13 days before all trustees were dismissed in December 2025 amid concerns about how the board handled construction of a new Parry Sound school. The education minister, Paul Calandra, has since assumed direct control of the North Bay-based English public board. A provincial review cited years of internal dysfunction at Near North, and the construction delay forced a short period of online learning and a return to older buildings. Key facts: - Jay Aspin was chair of the Near North District School Board for 13 days before trustees were dismissed in December 2025. - Minister Paul Calandra has been placed in charge of the Near North board since the dismissal. - Near North is one of six of 72 Ontario boards where the province has taken control, and the government has discussed phasing out elected trustees. - A new $58-million JK–12 school in Parry Sound was delayed, prompting a brief move to online learning and use of former buildings, one of which had been partially demolished. - The minister announced the contractor's contract was cancelled after formal notices of default and said the province will secure a new contractor and aims to have the school open by next September. Summary: Jay Aspin urged the province to preserve democratically elected school boards, saying they provide a channel for parents and citizens to have a voice, and warned against using a small number of troubled boards to justify sweeping change. The provincial review cited internal problems at Near North but was prompted by the Parry Sound school delay; Minister Calandra has cancelled the existing contractor and announced plans to secure a new contractor and complete the project by next September.