News story of the year 2014
It was the end of an era.
The Nottawasaga and Creemore Public School’s annex, also known as the junior site, closed its doors in 2014 after being an important part of generations of local people’s lives during their formative years.
The community marked the closure with an open house on June 19. The old bell rang ceremoniously during an emotional ceremony before ringing one final time on the last day of school at the end of the month.
Many memories of the old school surfaced as people toured the building and were treated to performances by current students.
In the fall, students ended up spending a few weeks at the junior site as finishing touches were added to the new addition at the senior site. The old school was permanently vacated at the end of October.
In order for the school board to do anything with the old school site it needs to be declared surplus, a decision that will be made by trustees, probably in 2015.
The building is not slated as a maintenance depot so it is not likely that it will be useful to the board.
The school was consolidated into the senior site because of declining enrolment, the addition of full-time kindergarten and because the old school site was in need of upgrades relating to accessibility and building code requirements.
The charming red brick building was built in 1917 as the Creemore Public and Continuation School.
It served as an elementary school and high school for local students.
According to historian Helen Blackburn, the school’s decline started in 1951 when Grade 13 students started attending classes in Collingwood. Three years later Grades 9 to 12 would follow suit.
The elementary school students remained at the school, joined by students from the small country schools as they closed.
In 1967, Blackburn said, all the one-room schools in surrounding communities closed and students were consolidated into one student body. The senior site was built to accommodate the new students and the junior students remained at the old building.
If the property is declared surplus it will be offered, at the appraised fair market value to other school boards, local college or university, local municipality, local upper-tier municipality, the province of Ontario and then to Canada, in that order.
If no offer of purchase is received, the property is offered for sale to the public, at fair market value.
Watch the Creemore Echo for updates in 2015.