OLD SCHOOL

Saint Mary's Boys' School

Some old schools cease to be schools, but the memory remains strong because...the building remains.  One such school is the Saint Mary's Boys' School on Grafton Street. Built in 1904, the merged Saint Mary's Boys' and Girls' school saw its last graduating class in 1975.

 

[click photo above for larger version] The photo above was taken by Eric Walker in 1978 or 79,  At the time, the building was empty and in transition into the Archdiocesan offices. Eric Walker's Website: http://www.ericjosephwalker.com/

Grade 8 Class - 1952

Grade 4 Class - 1952

St. Joseph's (Girl's) Circa 1958

Grade 9 Graduation Class - Fairview School - 1952

Halifax County Academy/The Halifax Academy

Photo above courtesy of Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management, Halifax, NS

Before QEH  and St. Pat's, there was the Halifax Academy. Like St. Mary's Boys School (see below), the old Halifax Academy Building is still standing at the corner of  Brunswick and Sackville Streets. The school can trace its roots back to 1789 with the founding of the Halifax Grammar School at the North-West corner of Barrington and Sackville streets.  In 1877 the Halifax Grammar School was taken over by the City of Halifax and was renamed the Halifax High School.  The school was not free at that time...tuition was $20 per year.  On July 17, 1878 the cornerstone for the present structure (as shown above circa 1890) was laid.  Classes in the building began in early January, 1879. In 1887, the school was again renamed from "Halifax High School" to "Halifax County Academy".  By this time, students residing in Halifax County were no longer required to pay tuition fees.  Eventually the school was again renamed "Halifax Academy" and tuition was waived for any student resident in Nova Scotia.

Below is a poem from the 1935 year book of the Halifax Academy, here referred to by the traditional acronym "H.C.A"

H.C.A. by Ritta Day

There are many things in this world of ours, There are houses and trees and lakes and flowers, There are many things that we all do love-- The snow white clouds and the sky above. There are many schools both far and near, Each one in its place is very dear, But to us we'll say 'most any day "Give me the good old H.C.A."

John Masefield was an English poet and writer

Dalhousie Gazette

Staff

1930-1931

Halifax County Vocational High School/Halifax Regional Vocational School/Nova Scotia Community College, Halifax Campus

1950-2005

As we approach 2007 and the opening year for Citadel High, I was intrigued to find this letter in the 1953 yearbook for the Halifax County Vocational High School. In it, the principal talks about the students of 1953 being the first students of the school when it opened and who were now graduating.  The school opened its doors in 1950.  It was demolished in 2005 to make way for the new Citadel High school.

Scenes from the Halifax County Vocational High School 1953 Yearbook.  Click the pictures above for a clearer view of the image.

Queen Elizabeth High School

Graduating Class

1946-47

Click on the photo below for a larger version of the image

Photo donated by Colin Nordqvist

Queen Elizabeth High School

Teachers and Staff

1969-1970

School Age

So, exactly how old is your school?  I've listed below the age of a number of schools in Halifax.

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