Post-war growth and the little school it created

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

When the Second World War came to a close, soldiers returned home, ready to get on with their lives. This meant finding jobs, getting married and starting a family. 

Of course, these families needed homes and this led to new subdivisions rapidly being developed. Therefore the 1950s and 1960s became a period of growth in the city so it was a natural progression that there was now a need for more schools to be built.

With development occurring in the north end of the city, parents were successful in persuading the Board of Education to build a neighbourhood school for their children.  

Construction on Kiwedin Public School was completed in December 1966 and the school officially opened on Jan. 3, 1967. The name, Kiwedin is an Ojibway word for 'North Wind'.  

In September 1966, the students that would eventually attend Kiwedin were spread around to other schools in the area until their own brand new school was ready for them. Space was found for the classes and their teachers at Northern Heights Public School (Grades 1, 2, 3, 7 & 8), the Kindergarten class met in the auditorium at Cody Public School, and the junior grades (4, 5 & 6) met in the auditorium at S.F. Howe Public School.  

Therefore, it was certainly a time to celebrate when all of the classes and their teachers were finally able to move into their new six-room school at the beginning of Canada’s Centennial year, 1967. There were 146 students at the new school but each year their enrolment numbers increased so that by 1968 they needed to have an annex brought in, a second one in 1969 and a third one was added in 1970! 

During the 1975/76 school year, the Grade 4 and 5 students and their teachers met at Bawating High School!  

It was obvious that the school needed to have an addition built so that all of the students could be housed under one roof and could not be delayed any longer. Construction began in the spring of 1976 and was completed and ready for occupancy by September of that same year. The size of the school had now doubled and provided space for a library, a music room, a science room as well as additional classroom space.  

Mr. Maurice Upper was the first principal of the new school and would remain at the school until his retirement from teaching in 1986.  A few of the other teachers that taught at the school included: Mrs. Ilona Remillard, Miss M. Shelleau, Miss S. Walton, Mrs. B. Pawelek, Mrs. Irene Allen, Mr. Robert Gernon, Mr. William Toyne, Mr. Barry Clark, Mrs. Christina Kersey and so many others throughout the years who have called Kiwedin their home. 

The school’s proximity to the Fort Creek Conservation area provided wonderful opportunities for outdoor education, physical education activities such as cross country skiing and the opportunity to study wild birds and animals in their natural habitat.  

A lot of students have passed through this school since its opening in 1967 and have very fond memories of the teachers who helped to prepare them for their future endeavours.  

Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provides SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here