Demolition of the former St. Peter Catholic School began Tuesday in downtown Trenton.
The Queen Street elementary school that is almost a century old was deemed surplus by the Algonquin Lakeshore District Catholic School Board in 2014.
Several bags filled with asbestos materials have already been pulled from the building.
The demolition process is expected to take four to six weeks.
Demolition of the former St. Peter Catholic School on Queen Street in downtown Trenton began Tuesday, September 19, 2023. (Photo: Tim Durkin/Quinte News)
The property, by St. Peter’s Catholic Parish, may reportedly be turned back over to the Arch Diocese of Kingston.
Here is a timeline of the history of the school:
- 1860 – First one-room school house built at 101 Queen Street
- 1884 – A second school built at the corner of King and Queen streets
- 1925 – Construction begins on current building
- 1949 – St. Peter’s Catholic Church transfers the school to the Hastings Prince Edward County Roman Catholic Separate School Board
- 1977 – An addition including the library, gymnasium, and kindergarten rooms was built.
- 2014 – St. Peter Catholic School moves to its current Tripp Blvd location and the Algonquin Lakeshore District Catholic School Board deems the Queen Street building surplus.
- 2023 – Demolition begins September 19
Members of the St. Peter’s Catholic Parish in Trenton meet with Director of Education David DeSantis and Trustee Terry Shea in preparation of the demolition to the old St. Peter Catholic School site. Pictured L-R: Trustee Terry Shea, Father Tim Harrison, Janet Powers (chair of the Property Finance Committee), David DeSantis (Director of Education), George Bonn and Mike Cowan (Former ALCDSB Trustee). (Photo: ALCDSB website)
