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Thomas Wells Opens School

The new Bradford District High School was officially opened by Education Minister Thomas Wells last Tuesday in a ceremony involving dignitaries from the province, the county, and the town of Bradford.

About 400 people braved the cold and blowing snow to attend the event, highlighted by a policy statement from the education minister, a tribute to Bradford resident Tom Gardner, and a key presentation from architects Adamson Associates and contractor C.A. Smith to principal Alex Taylor.

A moment of silence was also observed for Simcoe County Board of Education superintendent of planning Syd Owens who died the previous Sunday of a heart attack.

Trustee Sam Neilly said of Mr. Owens, "He was one of the most important men in the planning and design of this school. His sudden passing leaves us saddened."

Addresses followed by MPP George McCague (Dufferin-Simcoe), West Gwillimbury Reeve John Fennell, Bradford Mayor Roy Gordon, and York-Simcoe MPP Arthur Evans who introduced Mr. Wells.

Principal Alex Taylor gave a brief history of education in the Bradford area, which began in 1852 with the opening of a grammar school in Bond Head.

After the railway was opened to Bradford in 1859, Mr. Taylor said, the growth of Bradford warranted the establishment of a school there, and the grammar school was loaded onto wagons and moved to Bradford.

He joked that it was the first portable in the county.

Another school was built in 1890 which burned two years later, and a new brick school was built in 1893, but it too was destroyed by fire in 1923.

In 1923 Bradford District High School was constructed (now the Fred C. Cook Senior Public School) which served as the high school until last year.

Bradford's 1976 citizen of the year Tom Gardner, a long-time member of the school board before his retirement, was honored by the chairman of the Simcoe County Board of Education, C.W. Brown.

Mr. Brown called Tom Gardner "Mr. Education," and described his life-long efforts on behalf of education in the country.

He then presented Mr. Gardner with a plaque naming the resource centre in the school "The T.H. Gardner Resource Centre."

Mr. Gardner received a standing ovation from the assembly, and called the tribute "the highlight of my life."

Director of Education Jack Ramsay pointed out to Mr. Wells that the pressure would soon be on for the go-ahead to an extension for the new school next year.

He laughed, "We are optimistic that there will be no delay for that since Mr. Wells is present here."

Trustee Sam Neilly told the audience that today was Mr. Ramsay's birthday, and everyone promptly broke into a rendition of Happy Birthday.

The program concluded with a guided tour of the new high school.

"The styles have changed, but high school students haven't changed all that much from the days this photo was taken at Bradford High School in 1934. Front row, Mildred Faris, Orma Wilcox. Second row, Norma Walker, Vira Sutherland, Mildred Feaver, Etta Hunter, Irene Brown, Eileen Church, Mary Webb. Third row, Frank Edney, Edward Dunn, Harvey Jeffries, George Stoddart, Lorne West, Don Wilson."

Contains news clippings and articles on Bradford High School in Bradford West Gwillimbury

Contains articles, clippings, and photographs of Bradford West Gwillimbury sports and athletes

This high school was located on Queen Street. It consisted of four large classrooms, two upstairs and two down, and a natural history room. It was built in 1892. The school employed three teachers. In 1900, the number of students was 87. In 1904, it was 144. The first head master was S. Arthur Marling. This building burned down in 1924.

Bradford High School, destroyed by fire in 1923. These are the remains.

Back Row (l-r): Dyce Sturgeon, George Fuller, R. Osadchuk, Stewart Calhoun, Ross Stewart, Keith Bowles, Jack Gardner, Mirasla Osadchuk, ? Holancin, Don Gardner, Bob Bell, Joe Motto, Joe Kulka, Ken Brown, Mike Simurda, Paul Kolarik, Chris Brouwer, Don Coates, Norm McKay Gordon James, Doug Harvey.
Third Row (l-r): Evelyn Doane, Helen Wood, Grace Kell, Ruth Baynes, Ellen Norman, Doreen James, Ann Sklencar, Edith Dow, Marie Bell, Audrey Cameron, Jean Lee, Doreen Simpkins, Betty Spence, Mary McKay, Joyce Gibney, Irene Moriarty, Mary Sturgeon, Mary Fennell, Marguerite Ramsay, Anne Kachmar, Doreen Everett, Catherine Watson, Helen Bell, Gwen Coborne, Ruth Cordingly.
Second Row (l-r): Doris Archer, Joyce Brown, Isobel Kneeshaw, Dorothy Turner, Doris Bell, Eleanor Grant, Marjorie Evans, Mary Lennox, Eva Moyer, Mary Carter, Kathleen Hosegood, Margaret Walker, Mr. Ray Dorland, Miss Cunningham, Mr. Joe Wood, Miss Lyons, Miss Connie Nolan, Charlotte Lee, Sadie Yoshamira, Betty Coutts, Pauline Iceton, Joan Saint, June Duncan.
Front Row (l-r): Mike Brinkos, Nick Grencer, Merv Jessop, Austin Wiggins, John Vdovjak, Bob Wood, John Lee, Tom Brown, (Unknown), Jack Doane, Carl Bowles, Bruce Collings, Ross Wilson, Keith Blackwell, Gord Riley, Pete Vander Kleyn, Charlie Wilcox, John Bell, Stewart Langford, Lorne Metcalfe, Dennis Nolan, Jim Morlock, Stanley Brown.

Bradford High School 1939-40. Principal Mr. G. K. Brunt.
Back Row (l-r): James Shaw, Bill Martin, John Worfolk, Vincent O'Donnell, Donald Rutherford, Bob Faris, Calvin Lapp, Bill Rowe, Howard McKay, Gordon Cillingham, Bill Moriarty, Selby Kneeshaw, Campbell Prince, Gordon Bateman, Andrew Bell, Milton McMillan, Eveleen McDonnell, Muriel Gibney, Betty Camplin, Mary Scott, Lylia Bell.
Third Row (l-r): Marie Valenteyn, Helen Porritt, Doreen Simpkin, Marion Worfolk, Margaret Hill, Joyce Steers, Vera Huck, Lorna Dixon, Irene Mestdagh, Beatrice Zlotkin, Catherine Lukes, Betty Seim, Marie Moriarty, Helen Snor, Audrey Mapes, Dorothy Seim, Ruth Stewart, Jean Wilson, Jean Bell, Ruth Noble, Helen Cave, Freda Doane, Helen Brown, Isabel Blackwell, Gladys Bell, Doris Fennell, Marjorie Creighton.
Second Row (l-r): Helen Noble, Mary Meher, Etta Noble, Ruth O'Neil, Jean Campbell, Reta O'Neil, Phyllis Edney, Elsie McKnight, Isobel Kneeshaw, Marie O'Donnell, Marie Caesar, Evelyn Doane, Eileen Iceton, Velma Valedon, Ruth Stewart, Margaret Graham, Constance Nolan, G. K. Brunt, W. K. Gray, Helen Saint, Phylis Robson, Marjorie Horsley, Lorraine Lapp, Isobel Lennox, Marjorie Botham, Betty Spence, Joyce Gibney, Shirley Armstrong, Helen McDonald, Margaret Coates, Jean Bannerman, Josephine Orr.
Front Row (l-r): Ivan Wilson, Irwin Collings, Murray Quinn, Ross Melbourne, Frank Carter, Alan Atkinson, Joe Wood, Alex Geddes, Maurice Roberts, Donald Gardner, Bert McArthur, Earl Jessop, Jack Glover, Wallace Fuller, James Lennox, Willard Budd, George Allan, Keith Bowles, Keith Langford, Arthur Turner, Murray Wilson, Arnold Fraser, Jack Gardner, Charles Doane, John Fennell.