The Oshawa Whitby school names for four new Durham District School Board facilities have received final provincial approval ahead of the 2026-27 school year. Two schools are located in north Oshawa and two are in west Whitby, with three scheduled to open in September and one expected to welcome students in October.
The Durham District School Board announced the approved names on July 21 after a naming process that involved thousands of students, families, employees and community members. The board said suggestions were submitted and reviewed through public consultation before trustees made recommendations in the spring. The Ontario Ministry of Education finalized the four names on July 6.
Oshawa Whitby School Names Reflect Local Identity
Cedar Valley Secondary School is the approved name for the new high school at 245 Windfields Farm Drive East in Oshawa. The name connects the school to the nearby conservation area and the region’s natural landscape. The white cedar is also associated with strength and healing.
The secondary school is scheduled to open in September 2026 and will have space for 1,387 students. It is one of several new facilities intended to respond to continued residential growth and enrolment pressure in north Oshawa.
Waaban Public School is the name selected for the new elementary school at 2495 Steeplechase Street in Oshawa. “Waaban” is an Anishinaabemowin word meaning dawn or the east. The board said the name represents hope, new beginnings and a bright future for students.
Waaban Public School is also scheduled to open in September. Like each of the three new elementary schools included in the announcement, it will have a capacity of 634 students.
Two New Schools Named in Whitby
Whitby Meadows Public School will open at 470 Coronation Road in west Whitby. Its name refers to the growing Whitby Meadows residential area that the school will serve. The elementary school remains scheduled to open in September 2026.
Heartwood Public School is the approved name for the new elementary school at 1 Limoges Street in Whitby. The name refers to the strong inner core of a tree and is intended to represent the stable, supportive environment the school hopes to provide for students.
Heartwood is scheduled to open later than the other three schools. Construction delays moved its opening from September to October 2026. The board is targeting building completion in mid-October, with students and staff expected to move into the new facility shortly afterward.
Until Heartwood is ready, kindergarten to Grade 3 students assigned to the school will begin the year at Williamsburg Public School. Students in Grades 4 to 8 will temporarily attend West Lynde Public School.
Four Schools Add More Than 3,000 Student Spaces
Together, the four schools will provide 3,289 student spaces across Oshawa and Whitby. Cedar Valley will account for 1,387 secondary spaces, while Waaban, Whitby Meadows and Heartwood will each provide 634 elementary spaces.
The school board said the names were chosen to reflect the geography, culture and diversity of Durham Region. Superintendent Andrea McAuley said the process was about more than naming buildings and was intended to create a strong foundation for the students and neighbourhoods the schools will serve.
Families preparing for the openings can review registration information, school boundaries and construction updates through the Durham District School Board. Parents connected to Heartwood should also continue monitoring board notices for confirmation of the final move-in date.
The Oshawa Whitby school names announcement is a new development rather than a repeat of earlier construction reports. Previous stories focused on provincial approvals, funding and building schedules, while this update confirms the permanent names and current opening plans for all four schools.
