The parents of École Sacré-Cœur de Toronto are demanding greater transparency from MonAvenir - July 30, 2026

- Journalist Laetitia Dogbe

On Wednesday, July 29th I gave an interview to ONFR-TFO (Télévision française de l'Ontario), article came out on July 30th.

For the past month, the proposed redesign of the playground at Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary School has divided parents and the MonAvenir Catholic School Board (CSC). After officially agreeing to the installation of artificial turf, the board reversed course, opting for less expensive natural grass, without consultation, much to the dismay of parents who denounce a lack of transparency in the management of allocated public funds.

After the announcement of the redevelopment of the Sacré-Cœur School yard, the refurbishment of the soccer field and the installation of four new goals, the MonAvenir Catholic School Board (CSC) had initially opted for synthetic turf, considered more expensive, but more economical in the long term.

Two weeks later, the council reversed course and finally opted for natural turf, costing several hundred thousand dollars less to purchase, but involving an amount of about $50,000 per year for maintenance.

“Parents are frustrated and truly shocked,” laments Yelena Nichilo, chair of the school council, in an interview with ONFR. This Thursday, more than a hundred parents signed a petition demanding accountability from superintendent Marc Arseneau.

Yelena Nichilo is a mother of two sons and chair of the school council at Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary School in Toronto. Photo: courtesy

Changes made to the budget of a project that had been in development for several months, before families were consulted, quickly sparked outrage.

Previously, a survey with a single multiple-choice question had been sent to families to choose from three options for the terrain: either synthetic, natural or hybrid. “The survey did not present any balanced information allowing for a comparison of costs, long-term maintenance, or durability.” explains Ms. Nichilo.

A loss of confidence following mismanagement of public funds?

It was the lack of consultation that raised concerns among parents, who questioned the school board's transparency. To date, the results of the survey sent to families have not been made public: "Mr. Arseneau lied to me on the phone, claiming that the three options were tied," says the chairwoman.

In an email to ONFR, MonAvenir defends itselfvia press release The petition claims that the CSC MonAvenir's decision would result in a loss of over $500,000 for the school, which is false. No money has been lost and no budget cuts have been made."

MonAvenir assured that the entire budget initially allocated for these works is committed to this project. AllHowever, the council did not provide the funding details requested by ONFR.

The current soccer field needs renovation. Photo: courtesy of Yelena Nichilo

On several occasions, parents have requested a public meeting with the school board to better understand the last-minute change. However, no public meeting has yet taken place, even though demolition work has begun.

According to Ms. Nichilo, there has been no communication on the ins and outs of the new direction of the project nor on the contractual penalties linked to this last-minute change, impacting part of the funds.

Furthermore, she recounts that when she mentioned the missing sum of $500,000 in the petition, the superintendent allegedly asked her to remove it.

“They think parents aren’t intelligent people. They’re wrong, because many of us are professionals. It’s disrespectful to refuse us explanations,” insists Ms. Nichilo. “We entrust them with millions and millions of dollars to manage our projects.”

A parents' demonstration organized

Parents continue to demand transparency in decision-making, denouncing a lack of responsible management of public funds, as well as the absence of legitimate public consultation.

A demonstration by families will take place in front of the school at 98 Essex Street, this Friday morning, July 31, starting at 9 a.m.

“For many children, school is the main opportunity to engage in physical activity,” explains Ms. Nichilo. “The children love soccer. When they get home, they talk about their soccer games instead of what they learned in math or French. Soccer is their whole life,” she adds, considering that such a decision should not have been taken lightly.

Indeed, according to them, the synthetic turf option would allow them to practice soccer year-round, even in winter, when natural grass is vulnerable to bad weather and climate.

The work is scheduled to be completed by the start of the school year in September.