36 Glebe Report April 15, 2022
SCHOOLS
A HUNDRED YEARS OF GLEBE COLLEGIATE By Zahra Duxbury
A reminiscence on our school’s past and its relevance today Aside from our school’s exterior, which remains solid proof of the time from whence it came, the memories of a different Glebe, a past Glebe, are sustained by stories. Naturally, as time passes, these stories fade. The responsibility of keeping them alive rests on our shoulders, as it has for many generations before us. Why bother? Because through small efforts, like word of mouth and an article in the school paper, we will do ourselves a favour. Somewhere along the line, perhaps even now, when the future seems blurry and unapproachable, we will look to the past. It truly is a valuable resource. Where to start a story? On a fall day in 1922, when a school, though not officially opened, officially started. The Building Glebe Collegiate was not initially founded as Glebe Collegiate. Instead, it was built as an expansion of the Ottawa Collegiate Institute (OCI ) which is known now as Lisgar; the OCI’s symbols can still be found on our school today. In 1917, the OCI had outgrown its facility because of an increase in school enrolment. This was due to Ottawa’s rising population – it had increased 43 per cent since 1901 – and to a newfound emphasis on education – the 1919 Adolescence School Attendance Act mandated student attendance until age 16. The OCI was overcrowded with 46 students and teachers, and circumstances were in dire need of change. In 1919, the land between Percy and Bronson was purchased for $74,000, and the prominent Ottawa architect H. Albert Ewart was hired to design the school in a collegiate-gothic style. The school, which would accommodate modern amenities such as a plunge-pool, gymnasium
and greenhouse, was well-regarded; upon its official opening in 1923 (students had already started attending the year before), it was described by the Ottawa Citizen as a “beautiful building” and “a reflection of the advance of education.” The Rivalry Soon after, the OCI was split into Glebe and Lisgar, and a rivalry started between the two schools, which were both known for their academic prowess. This competition was a prime motivator for academics and athletics. Occasionally, the rivalry went a bit too far. In 1972, according to a Lisgar anecdote, the Glebe senior boys arrived en masse to prank their rival school, but they were unable to leave in their getaway car because the Lisgar students had stolen the distributor cap! Later on, a tense club meeting in the Glebe cafeteria resulted in a food fight between the two schools, which didn’t end until the principal intervened. This rivalry has definitely mellowed over the years, and though friendly competition still continues, it’s safe to say that Lisgar and Glebe, both great schools, have come to terms with each other. The Graduates Glebe Collegiate is home to quite a few notable alumni, such as Peter Mansbridge, a former CBC news anchor, Alanis Morisette, a seventime Grammy award-winning singer, and Patrick Watson, a director, among other things, who created the Heritage Minutes that many of us are so familiar with. A story worth noting is that of Peter Ferk, who painted the notorious “naked room” mural when he was a 16-year-old student at Glebe. Inspired by Dante’s “Inferno,” Ferk dedicated the majority of his year to painting it, even missing prom! He is now a veteran of the animation industry, having worked with companies such as Disney and Universal Studios. I write this article to remind people that the past has brought us to the present and that when
Glebe Collegiate Institute was completed in 1923 on the “outskirts” of Ottawa. For information on anniversary celebrations currently planned for October 14-16, 2022, visit glebe100.ca. PHOTO: COURTESY OF GCI
Glebe Collegiate’s “Naked Room” ceiling mural, reminiscent of Dante’s Inferno, was painted by Peter Ferk in 1977. PHOTO: ELSA CATTELAN
people feel disconnected from the times in which they’re living, it can help to look back. These past few years have been far from ordinary, and sometimes it’s hard, especially for new students like me, to imagine Glebe might once have been different than this current reality. But history begs to differ – it shows a hundred years behind us, full of vibrancy and boundlessness, where students faced obstacles and overcame them, just like we have and will. And if you listen, it tells you something else: Glebe’s history has only just begun. Zahra Duxbury is a student at Glebe Collegiate Institute.
Spring arrives at Glebe Coop Nurser y School By Julie Leblanc The little ones at Glebe Cooperative Nursery School have been busy exploring, learning and growing over the winter. The children started the winter season by learning all about hibernation. Each child created a bear out of clay, and together they built a bear cave for the bears to spend the winter
months sleeping. Through stories, conversations, songs and exploration, the children learned that hibernation is when an animal “sleeps” during the cold days of winter. When it came time for the bears to be tucked into their caves, the children all wore their pyjamas to school as they said “Goodnight” to their bears and “See you in the spring!” The winter months were filled with
stories, songs, crafts, imaginative dramatic play, sensory play and more. Some favourite activities included making bird feeders, pretending to be firefighters, grocery shopping, a light table, freeze dance, playing with shaving cream and, of course, learning about garbage trucks! The child-centred activities facilitated by the teachers at GCNS promote language development, numeracy skills, self-control,
DOWNSIZING?
turn-taking, fine motor skills, creativity and child empowerment. With the arrival of spring, the children are enjoying lots of play time outside and taking in all that comes with the changing season. They have woken their hungry bears from a long slumber and are now ready to learn all about the life cycle of butterflies. The children will be able to watch the metamorphosis happen with butterfly lifecycle raising kits. Registration is now open for the September 2022 Toddler Program and Preschool Program. Visit glebepreschool.com to learn more about the Glebe Cooperative Nursery School. Julie LeBlanc is a Glebe Cooperative Nursery School parent and is responsible for communications.
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Making a snow angel PHOTOS: HEAD TEACHER HELEN
