Simcoe Street South Public School

In September 1913 , the Oshawa School trustees began discussions around acquiring property to build a new school. Trustee Burns and Architect Ellis examined a piece of land owned by the Pedlar People Limited and recommended the site for a new two-storey school building, that being Simcoe Street South Public School. It had a frontage of 137 feet on Simcoe Street, 132 feet on Albert Street, and 298 feet bordering a lane parallel to First Avenue.

After much discussion, the town council approved $5000 to buy the Pedlar lot. The council refused a request to build an eight-room building and instead, proposed a construction of a four-room building. Trustees made threats to withdraw form the council’s authority and collect taxes on their own.

In June 1915, a sum of $25,000 was granted, and contractor W. J. Trick’s was engaged to build the school. Afterwards, the Dominion Radiator Company was chosen to provide a heating system.

Miss Alice M. Lawlor, the first principal, did not have to deal with the immediate problem of overcrowded classrooms when the school first opened in 1916. In fact, one or two rooms remained empty during her tenure of supervision. In 1918, Miss Georgina L. Annand succeeded her. Six more rooms, an office, and a nurse’s room was added in 1927. Simcoe Street South Public School flourished thrived by her direction through the transition from town to city until her retirement in 1935.

Due to a lack of fuel and electricity during World War II, Albert Street School was closed for about two years. Because of this, students were sent to King Street, South Simcoe and Centre Street Schools.

In 1999, after over 80 years of serving students in Oshawa, it was announced that Simcoe South Public School was to be closed. Students at Simcoe South merged with students at E.A. Lovell; the students from those catchments then attended Village Union Public School, at 240 Simcoe St. S.

After years of closure, the school building was repurposed as a senior’s residential home, St George’s Ukrainian Seniors. In 2001, wanting to provide for the needs of the ageing community members, the parish of St. George’s Ukrainian Church established the St. George Seniors’ Residence. The project saw financial strain through the decade and was sold in 2009. It continues to serve as a retirement residence.  The three storeys include 36 units for living space, a parking lot and features a number of transportation options.

With information from:

Education in Oshawa: from Settlement to City by J. Douglas Ross, p. 127 – 128

https://olivefrench.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/the-oshawa-public-schools-1923-1967/

https://www.apartments.com/st-georges-ukrainian-seniors-residence-oshawa-on/gx1br5z/

http://stgeorgethegreatmartyr.com/Parish_History_1442996.html

Christy Chase, “Winds of Change,” Oshawa This Week, Sunday Edition, 7 June 1998, 10.

Christy Chase, “South Simcoe says goodbye after 83 years of memories,” Oshawa This Week, Sunday Edition, 30 May 1999, 8.