West Hill Secondary School
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.
West Hill Secondary School | |
---|---|
Address | |
750 9th Street West , , Canada | |
Coordinates | 44.5650°N 80.9572°W |
Information | |
Motto | Sto Pro Veritate (I Stand For Truth) |
Established | 1960 |
Closed | 2016 |
School board | Bluewater District School Board |
Color(s) | Double blue |
Team name | Raiders |
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.[1] 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
- Cheryl Hickey - television journalist[9]
- Heather Hiscox - news anchor[9]
- Jim Schoenfeld - hockey player and executive[10]
- Vanessa Weight - Singer Songwriter and TikTok star[9]
- Boris Cherniak - Comedy Hypnotist, Keynote Speaker and TV personality[11]
See also
References
- "Date Stone Ceremony At West Hill School Held On Wednesday". The Owen Sound Sun Times. 1960-06-02.
- "$750,000 Owen Sound High School". The Daily Commercial News and Building Record. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 1959-12-08.
- Caravel 1960-61 (Yearbook). Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada: West Hill Secondary School. 1961. p. 22.
- Official Opening of the West Hill Secondary School (Ceremony Program). Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada: West Hill Secondary School. 1960.
- Gowan, Rob (2015-12-03). "West Hill teachers suggest combining high schools". Owen Sound Sun Times. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- Gowan, Rob (2016-02-29). "Board proposes closing 4 Owen Sound-area schools". Owen Sound Sun Times. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- "Accommodation Review - Owen Sound Area". www.bwdsb.on.ca. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- Gowan, Rob (2016-09-01). "High school prepared for students". Owen Sound Sun Times. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- "People That You May Not Know Are From Owen Sound And Area". 92.3 The Dock - Greatest Hits - Grey Bruce's Favorite Radio Station. 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- Jackson, Jonathon (2014-06-23). "Schoenfeld's drive set him apart". www.owensoundhub.org. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- "Boris Cherniak". Facebook. Retrieved March 13, 2023.