The Town of Penetanguishene is pleased to release the official closing of Penetanguishene Secondary School memorial documentary, End of an Era.
In January 2021, the Town of Penetanguishene finalized an agreement to purchase the 13-acre property, 51 Dunlop Street – the site of the former Penetanguishene Secondary School from the Simcoe County District School Board.
Embarking on the demolition of the school, the Town recognized the community’s need for closure. This documentary, filmed by Quick Escape Productions was created to capture the memories of some of our community’s past teachers and students.
“The Penetanguishene Museum is pleased to be able to capture the last moments of the Penetanguishene Secondary School and all of the memories attached to it” says Nicole Jackson, Museum Curator. “This video will be kept in our archives along with many other artifacts of the school. For those of you who shared stories or completed interviews towards the creation of the video – we thank you.”
The video is available on the Town’s YouTube Channel, or visible using the following link: https://youtu.be/GebBCdBokD8
Community consultation was and remains a key part of deciding how the Town can best utilize the property, once demolition is complete. Purchasing this large, centrally located property opens up many possibilities for Penetanguishene to support its existing plans for growth and meets our Community Based Strategic Plan goals and our communities needs now and in the years to come.
In August 2021, members of the public had an opportunity to engage in a community walkthrough of the school, request memorabilia, and share stories of their past.
“Understanding the emotional impact that the demolition of the school would have on residents, staff and volunteers worked tremendously hard this summer to deliver a meaningful Community Closure Program. The distribution of memorabilia and the creation of a documentary are two tangible outcomes that we are very proud to have been able to provide to the community.” said Sherry Desjardins, Director of Recreation and Community Services.
