Looking Back At Hinchinbrooke PS

Jan 23, 2013

At the end of the 2013 school year, Hinchinbrooke Public School in Parham will end its close to 50 years of serving students from all over the township. Back in the early 1960s the idea for one single school came about when the Hinchinbrooke Township Area Board felt that a single central school would better serve students, and they decided to replace the one-room school houses in Piccadilly, Oak Flats, Cole Lake, Wagarville, Tichborne and Parham with one central school. Though some in the community (estimated at roughly 10 %) were opposed to the idea, most were in favour. The board focused on the benefits that a larger school would offer students: namely a gym/auditorium, indoor washrooms, a library and a large playground and it was not long before the idea of a new school became a reality.

After long discussions, Parham was the chosen location for the new central school and a lot was purchased from the York family in Parham at the corner of Long Lake Road and Wagarville Road. The building contract was awarded to M. Sullivan and construction of the building began in 1965, with hopes of the school being ready for use following the Christmas break in 1966. William (Bill) Sproule of Tichborne, who was a member of the construction team, would become the school’s first principal. The school opened two weeks after the Christmas break and the builders rushed to put on the finishing touches after classes began that year. The official ceremony marking the opening of the school took place on August 19, 1966 and it was attended by the then MPP, J. R. Simonett, and the area superintendent, R.W. Froates. The latter gave the address at the ceremony.

Doreen Howes, who was the former principal of the old Parham school, was a member of the teaching staff in the school’s first year of operation. She recalled in a written history of the school how thrilled the students were with the new facility. “Children who had probably never been in a building as big were awed and a little frightened of all the new facilities.” In those first days students were given tours of the new school and its facilities to familiarize themselves with the new building. Years later portables would be added to the school to accommodate the growing numbers of students, and within the first few years of its opening, the school also became home to numerous students from western Bedford township and southern Oso township.

In its first year, 27 students graduated from the new school. It was during the school’s first full year of operation in 1967 (the centennial year), that students in grades five through eight attended Expo 1967 in Montreal for three days.

In 1991, Hinchinbrooke celebrated its 25th anniversary. Then principal, Brenda Martin, approached Kathleen Goodfellow to set up a committee to plan the special events. Kathleen chaired the executive committee, which included Doreen Howes as secretary and Eric Wagar as treasurer.

Fundraisers were held and a special 25-year anniversary book was produced and sold at the celebration. In that book were highlighted some of the events that took place over the years, which helped to shape the school. These included the designing of the school crest, which was spearheaded by members of the school’s first graduating class of 1966, Karyn Cronk, Bonnie McCullough and Glen Brown. It was the class of 1969 who constructed and planted the flower beds at the front of the school. In 1972 French was introduced as a new subject to students and in 1973 the first ever grade one class at HPS was formed. By far the largest graduating class, numbering close to 40 students, was the class of 1974 under the supervision of Maurice Lowery whose singing classes were long remembered as a highlight.

Eric Wagar of Parham was principal at the school from 1973 - 1984, and will be saddened by its closure. “I have very fond memories of my time there,” he said. He recalled the hard work of the staff at the school who brought so many important and memorable extra-curricular activities to the students. “Floyd Deyo and Maurice Lowery spearheaded the winter fall and spring house leagues at the school, which were very popular with the students.”

He recalled the top-notch music programming offered by John McDougall and recounted running into one former student, who decades later joined a choir in Ottawa having been inspired by her participation in the HPS choir.

As far as the future of the building is concerned, Wagar said he hopes to see it continue to serve the community. He and others want to see it transformed into a community centre that can serve “all ages in the community from young children right up to seniors.” He is part of the committee looking into the possibility of the township acquiring the school and turning it into such a centre.

Wagar also weighed in on the new larger school now currently under construction in Sharbot Lake. “I have never been a big fan of larger schools. The nice thing about smaller schools and the one thing that I always liked about them is the fact that every teacher knew the name of every single student in the building.” Will that be the case at new school? Time will tell.

Wagar ended on a positive note, however. “Though the closure of the school is sad, we will hope for the best, that the new school will be better able to serve students.”

* Much of the information in this article was taken from a “History of Hinchinbrooke Public School” written by Doreen Howes and included in the Silver Anniversary Memories book that was sold as part of the school’s 25th Anniversary celebrations in 1991.