After the Fact

The Mayor's opening speech for the renovated Church Street school was written by the new communications director. He had been on the job, a matter of days.

The wisdom of the council of 1950 was noted in acquisition of the building.

In 1950, municipalities had their own school boards. When the school was no longer required it automatically belonged to the town.

Why would it not? It was a town asset.

When I came to Aurora in 1961, the building had been on lease to Remington Rand . After they finished with it, it was used as recreation space.

Two of my children took drawing classes from Mabel Pearson there. Mabel and Cathan Schonicker two young mothers from Jasper Drive and Sunray Place, were founders of the Aurora Art Show, forty-eight years ago.

Regency Acres school became over-crowded in the sixties and students had to be bussed to re-opened Church Street School. Parents were none too pleased.

In 1950, the building was sixty-five years old. The same time as it has not been a school.

Students graduating from Grade 8 in that year would have started at six years old in 1941/42 There was no Kindergarten.

Aurora residents, seventy- five years old and younger would have been students.

Were they sought out as special guests to the opening? Were their memories solicited to make it a real historic event.

Dunno. My input was not invited.

In 1969, when County Boards of Education were created, the building came back into full use. The town leased it to the new board for administrative offices for $1.00 a year.

In 1976, our deal was realised. The Board built new administration facilities. We partnered and built a fine building together on Wellington Street West.

The late Bill Devins called it Bucking Palace.

The school again became available for community use.

We provided the entire second floor to the Aurora Historical Society for a museum. They obtained a provincial grant for rental of a facility. They moved out of the old waterworks building, we gave them when the town police force was swallowed by the region. In time they acquired the services of Curator Jacqueline Stewart. Before that I think there was a volunteer curator.

Aurora Seniors had the space on the left side of the ground floor and were able to provide programs .

Big Brothers, Big Sisters, new organisations, and Boy Scouts, shared the space on the left side of the front door.

At one point, during the tenure of the Board of Education ,sloping floors became sinking floors in the centre. They had to quickly move huge computers to the outside walls and promptly reinforce the floor on either side of the wide central staircase.

Over the years, various projects had to be carried out to keep the building upright and weatherproof . When excavation was done around foundations, it was noted mortar had crumbled and disappeared. Daylight could be seen between the stones.

Plumbing for lavatories in the basement had eroded. Effluvia was unmistakeable and left little doubt as to why the school board had decided to vacate the premises in 1950.

Money was poured into the building over the years by various Councils. John West operated a youth club there for a couple of years while he was a Councillor,a fter the seniors had
moved into the former fire hall.

The late and former Councillor Earl Stewart, had no patience with spending on "the old blister".

John probably knows better than anyone how much had already been spent .My guess would be at least three million. Last time I asked, Scott Somerville was our CAO, between Larry Allison and John Rogers. Scott was on a six month contract

Nobody could provide a precise tally. They did not argue with my figure. I think on occasion, people have selective memories.

Where public funds are concerned, I think public accounting is a must.

At the Gala opening, I noticed, with small comfort, the grand piano was in a corner created by two outside walls.