September 15, 2000 Rural schools: a history of change

The girls at recess a the Fossmill public school in 1933. The teacher, who took the picture, was Joe Demeza, who later had an outstanding career and received an honorary doctorate for his work with deaf children.

The history of rural schools in Chisholm Township, where I live, is typical of many northern communities. This September, for the first time in over a hundred years, there will be no classes in the township, and this has triggered considerable emotion.

After forty five years of service, the Near North District School Board has decided to "temporarily" relocate students from Chisholm Central School to other schools outside the township for the 2000-2001 school year. Grades seven and eight, kindergarten and secondary students have travelled to Powassan, North Bay and South River for years.

Theoretically, the centralization of schools saves money and provides more educational opportunities, but there are social costs. For example, many secondary students travel upwards of an hour a day, each way, 200 days a year which means they spend the equivalent of ten forty hour weeks a year on the road. Over five years that is the equivalent of a year of school on the bus.

More than 100 years

There is evidence that there was a log school near the depot and one of the Chisholm history books makes reference to children being taught at a local home in nearby Chiswick before a school was available there.

With many French Catholic families, Separate schools were eventually established in Chiswick, near the St. Louis de France church in the 10th concession east. A second separate school was established near the Booth Depot on the 12th concession. These two schools were joined in a new two-room brick school in Chiswick in 1932 and continued in a four-room school in 1956 (currently the township's Municipal Office).

Two public schools later became separate schools. All of these schools were closed when the new St. Thomas Equinas school was built in Astorville in 1951.

By 1890 a small community developed on the 8th concession at the South Himsworth boundary, and a church, school and sawmill were established.

A frame school was built in 1892 and replaced by a larger one in 1911.

In 1895 a squared timber public school was built on the west end of the 12th concession and was replaced with a brick school in 1928. It burned in 1954 and the concrete steps can still be seen by the side of the road.

This fire was a major factor in the building of the new central school in 1955. As the population increasd throughout the township, other schools were built on the 16th concession east (S.S. #3), the 6th concession east (S.S. #4) and the 4th concession west (S.S. #5) (The S.S. stands for School Section).

In 1924 the Fassett Lumber Company Village of Fossmill soon caused an overflow at S.S #4 and a school was built in Fossmill. They then became S.S. #4a and S.S. #4b, respectively.
 

Class photo of the boys at Fossmill school in 1928. Ted Priest, the teacher, later became Director of Music for the city of Stratford's schools, and was Director of the city orchestra for twenty years

(note the bare feet and the CNR rail line in the background). --------------------------------------------------------- The Fossmill school became a separate school after the mill burned and Fossmill became a bedroom community for the Staniforth Lumber Company at Kiosk, twelve miles east on the CNR line. It remained until Fossmill died in the mid-forties (see photos). All of the public schools, except those that became separate schools (as mentioned above) came together in 1955 to form the Chisholm Central School.

The school became a keystone in the community's development. People were attracted to, and stayed in, Chisholm because of this central school, and many became involved in its activities. A parent support group was particularly active and only recently raised money to renovate the school's kitchen. The school has had outstanding music and sports programs and has been progressive in many other ways.

One of the main themes in Chisholm's educational history that continues today, as is the case elsewhere, is change. If the year 2000 ends a century of education here, many students, parents and teachers will look back with fond memories and some regrets.

Some of the loss of the facility as a school, if it closes, can be diminished if the school can remain as a meeting place in the community. When the school addition was put on in 1964 additional playground space was added. A Wintario grant provided the community with an excellent tennis court next door.

Chisholm lost its Community Centre to old age in 1999, and the community needs a place for recreational, educational and social activities. A Board committee is looking at the future of the facility and hopefully the Board will give consideration to the needs of the community and recognize forty five years of taxes. Perhaps there will be a bright future for the complex as Chisholm enters a new millennium.

A pictorial display of Chisholm's early schools hangs in the township council chamber, where a brief history of the schools is also available.