One final walk-through to be held at Caledon East school

By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With the new Caledon East Public School slated for completion this coming September, the final class of the original building is soon walking out its doors – but it's not the last time people will grace the halls of the old Caledon East Public School.

On June 26, the Peel District School Board (PDSB) is offering interested parties the opportunity to take one final “walk through” of the building prior to its closure.

Stan Cameron, currently sidelined PDSB trustee for Caledon, is encouraging people to take the opportunity to have one final walk-through.

With the projected growth in Caledon East, he notes that a new school was needed.

Cameron says the existing school, originally built in 1971 and expanded in 1988 to serve 254 students, was “built for a small community,” and now currently serves more than 300 students.

With multiple subdivisions on the way, “the question was always going to be, where will all of those children who move in go to school?”

The new school will accommodate up to 650 students and received $32.4 million in funding from the province.

It will also feature a child care centre offering 73 licensed child care spaces, one infant care room, one toddler room, and two preschool rooms. 

The walk-through of the existing school, Cameron notes, was an idea from the alumni themselves.

“I'm really mostly looking forward to seeing people, and seeing either graduates of the school, or alumni from the teacher staff level,” says Cameron, adding he's looking forward to “hearing all the stories.”

Someone with their own stories to tell is retired Caledon East Public School teacher Helen Hydon.

Hydon began teaching at the school in 1971 and retired in 1993 after more than 20 years.

“When I first joined the staff, we'd only got 179 kids,” laughs Hydon. “We all knew every kid, and we knew their parents. It was a great place to work. I was so lucky.”

Hydon plans on attending the walk-through with her fellow staff members, whom she still sees regularly, and holding a small reunion.

“I'm glad they're thinking about us,” she says about the walkthrough. “That's very nice that they're doing that.”

Karen Martin-Robbins, another individual attending the walk-through, truly knows the ins and outs of the school.

Not only has she been the school council chair for the past four years, but she has also seen four of her kids go through the existing school.

She says talks began long ago about finding ways to commemorate the existing school, but it was upon hearing from the community through Cameron that the idea for the walk-through came about, as people hoped to see it “one last time.”

“I had four kids go through that school and it's more than a building, it was the heart of our community,” she says. “My kids formed friendships there, I formed friendships there, it means a lot.”

“Seeing it demolished will be emotional because it's sort of the end of an important chapter not just for our family but for generations of local families who've sent their kids there and been part of that school community,” she adds. “We're very grateful to have the chance to be part of it.” 

Martin-Robbins echoes Cameron's point about the capacity of the existing school, noting it's “certainly time for a bigger school.”

Her son will be part of the first graduating class at the brand-new school.

“I hope we can honour the legacy of Caledon East and let people have their moment with it,” says Martin-Robbins.

She adds the response has already been so strong, with local families and even past school council members planning their return.

“There's lots of multi-generation families that have a connection to the school, that's why I think it's important,” she says.

The walk-through will be held on Friday, June 26, between 4 – 6.30 p.m.