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125th ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, October 1, 1991 - 37 'Union School' opens doors in 1873 nish Public School in honour of its first principal. The High School was add- ed on toin 1961 and a new tech- nical wing, libra ria in 1967, bot MAJOR-GENERAL JAMES A. MacBRIEN From Page 36 Park, named in his honour, at Port Perry's waterfront. H.A. Bruce, later to become Dr. H.A. Bruce, founder of Wellesley Hos- pital in Toronto and was ap- inted to the post of Ontario's ieutenant Governor in 1932. He remained Ontario's Lieuten- ant Governor until 1937. Another notable duate wasJames A. McBrien. He grad- uated from P.P.H.S. in 1896 to serve in the North West Mount- ed Police and eventually became Chief of Staff of Canada's armed forces at the conclusion of World War One. He was instrumental in establishing the Ministry of National Defence and concluded his illustrious career as head of the R.C.M.P. Port Perry High School was one of only four in Ontario County for many years. The oth- ers being at Whitby, Uxbridge and Oshawa. To avoid having to travel great distances on a daily basis, students boarded in town. During Mr. McBride's ten- ure at P.P.H.S., the school be- came a "model" school, that is, if you wanted to become a teacher, after completing your high Community , l emoria gospital. Serving Today ... Building for Tomorrow We would like to take this opportunity to thank the COMMUNITY for their support during our recent fundraising campaign. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS school, you would continue to at- tend the school receiving in- struction or teaching from Mr. McBride, practice teaching and at the end of the year write ex- aminations on teaching and course content. Mr. McBride was assisted in his teachers training by Mr. R.F. Downey, principal of the downstairs Pub- ic School. In 1884, Mr. McBride, ac- quired a new teacher, Mr. ROY H. CORNISH George Stone who assisted and supported him until McBride's retirement. Mr. Stone remained on the staff until 1923. In 1926 when Mr. Tom Fol- lick was principal a tragedy struck. The huge wood burning furnace in the basement of the school had been lit by the care- taker Mr. A.W. Allin, to warm the school for a board meeting during the Easter vacation of April 1926. Mr. Allin went home and then returned in the early evening to make sure that all was well. It wasn't. When he opened the front door he found the school interior in flames. The single firefighting apparatus of the town proved to be of little help. The schoo burned to the ground. After much delay, a new school was built and officially opened amid much festivity and a lengthy parade, on May 18, 1927. The new building, contain- ing a gymnasium on the ground floor and an auditorium directly above it, continued to serve both elementary and secondary stu- dents. However, with the growth of the town and the sur- rounding area, it proved in- creasingly inadequate. In 1952 a brand new Public School was finally opened and was added on to in 1957 and 1971. The Public School was eventually renamed R.H. Cor- and cafete- under the GRANT MacDONALD leadership of Mr. Grant Mac- Donald who continued the tra- dition of faithful long term lead- ership. He was principal from 1956 to 1973 but had arrived at PP.H.S. as a Mathematics teacherin 1946. Please Turn to page 38 m0] ILL I ATA TRAE | =o " ; . ng Ap v DRY <3 |L d * -- 2 55 iLAA8 «5: SOME OF US JUST GET BETTER WITH AGE Congratulations to the Port Perry Star from all of us at The Settlement House Shops in Old Port Perry