The Earl of March Secondary School opened on December 6, 1971, and was the only secondary school in the area that would become the City of Kanata (later to be amalgamated within the City of Ottawa). The school was designed by Balharrie, Helmer, and Gibson architects and engineers for the Carleton Board of Education (which became part of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board) and was built for $5.5M. The school was designed to be one of the best educational facilities in the province for its time featuring all the amenities of a large modern high school including a 750-seat auditorium, a large gymnasium with a balcony, a smaller exercise gym, a large cafeteria, a library, specialized science, technology, and arts rooms, as well as several flexible learning spaces.