Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison (right) and Director of Education at Hastings & Prince Edward District School Board Mandy Savery-Whiteway unveil the plaque to commemorate Wallbridge Public School Tuesday morning. (Photo: Brock Ormond/Quinte News)
The legacy of Wallbridge Public School was remembered in Sidney Township Tuesday morning.
A plaque honouring the school was unveiled at the Old Sidney Town Hall Park to mark the 150th anniversary of Canada, and the 60th year of the Hastings County Historical Society.
Wallbridge Public School opened in 1825 and was one of the last remaining one-room school houses in Ontario. The provincial government would force its closure in 1969, mandating that all rural students be bused in to a central location.
The event is a joint project between the City of Quinte West and the Wallbridge Public School Reunion 2017, with added support from the HCHS.
Chair of the Organizing Committee for the Wallbridge Public School Reunion Alex McNaught says he went to the school for eight years and feels it’s important to keep the memory of the school alive for future generations. (Photo: Brock Ormond/Quinte News)
Alex McNaught is the Chair of the Organizing Committee for the reunion.
He says the school is very close to his heart.
McNaught explains the early hardships that went into making the school’s existence a reality.
McNaught has also written a book on the entire village of Wallbridge, with a chapter dedicated to the history of the school.
A group of former students of Wallbridge Public School stand beside the plaque that honours the school. (Photo: Brock Ormond/Quinte News)
President of the Hastings County Historical Society Richard Hughes says this event is just one of the many ways to honour historical moments in the area as part of the Society’s 60th anniversary and the 150 year milestone of Canada.
Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison, along with members of council and Hastings Prince Edward District School Board Director of Education Mandy Savery-Whiteway were also on hand to help honour the school.
How Wallbridge Public School looks in 2017. (Photo: Brock Ormond/Quinte News)
