West Hill Secondary School Explained

West Hill Secondary School
Motto:Sto Pro Veritate
Motto Translation:I Stand For Truth
Address:750 9th Street West
City:Owen Sound
Province:Ontario
Postcode:N4K 3P6
Country:Canada
Coordinates:44.565°N -80.9572°W
Established:1960
Closed:2016
Schoolboard:Bluewater District School Board
Colors:Double blue
Team Name:Raiders

West Hill Secondary School (WHSS) was a high school located in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. Built in 1960, the school joined another existing secondary institution in the city - Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute (OSCVI). Serving the community for over half a century, the school closed in 2016 and amalgamated with OSCVI. The building is now used for the current Owen Sound high school, Owen Sound District Secondary School.

History

Plans to build a new secondary school in Owen Sound began in 1947, with the creation of an expansion program by the Ontario Board of Education.[1] The job of designing the school was given to the architecture firm Jackson, Ypes and Associates of Willowdale, Ontario.[2]

The location of the new school, in a field across from the West Rocks Conservation Area, had once served as pastures for farmers on the west side of Owen Sound.[3] The datestone for the building was laid on June 1, 1960. West Hill was opened to students in September of the same year, with Gordon H. Bailey serving as the first principal.[4]

Amalgamation

The Bluewater Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) began assessing the financial situations of schools in Grey and Bruce counties as early as September 2015.[5]

At a meeting in February 2016, the Bluewater District School Board recommended the consolidation of the two Owen Sound high schools under their jurisdiction - OSCVI and West Hill.[6]

The amalgamation of West Hill and OSCVI was finally approved at a meeting of Bluewater district trustees on April 19, 2016.[7] In September 2016, the new high school, Owen Sound District Secondary School (OSDSS) was opened in the former West Hill building.[8]

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. News: Date Stone Ceremony At West Hill School Held On Wednesday. 1960-06-02. The Owen Sound Sun Times.
  2. News: $750,000 Owen Sound High School. 1959-12-08. The Daily Commercial News and Building Record. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  3. Book: Caravel 1960-61. West Hill Secondary School. 1961. Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. 22. Yearbook.
  4. Book: Official Opening of the West Hill Secondary School. West Hill Secondary School. 1960. Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. Ceremony Program.
  5. Web site: West Hill teachers suggest combining high schools. Gowan. Rob. 2015-12-03. Owen Sound Sun Times. en-CA. 2018-06-25.
  6. Web site: Board proposes closing 4 Owen Sound-area schools. Gowan. Rob. 2016-02-29. Owen Sound Sun Times. en-CA. 2018-06-25.
  7. Web site: Accommodation Review - Owen Sound Area. www.bwdsb.on.ca. en. 2018-06-25.
  8. Web site: High school prepared for students. Gowan. Rob. 2016-09-01. Owen Sound Sun Times. en-CA. 2018-06-25.
  9. News: People That You May Not Know Are From Owen Sound And Area. 2016-03-23. 92.3 The Dock - Greatest Hits - Grey Bruce's Favorite Radio Station. 2018-06-25. en-US.
  10. Web site: Schoenfeld’s drive set him apart. Jackson. Jonathon. 2014-06-23. www.owensoundhub.org. en-GB. 2018-06-25.
  11. Web site: Boris Cherniak . . March 13, 2023.