With renovation work on the old Fort Frances High School well underway, some local citizens have started a committee to preserve memories and pieces of history from the First Street East building.
The Saving School Memories Committee had its first meeting last week, motivated by Vic Nowak.
“I thought it would be a good idea before they tear it down,” he said.
The purpose of the committee is to collect photos, video footage, and memorabilia from the old school and put them in a format—such as a short film—to document the school’s history.
Nowak’s first step was to call Fort Frances Museum curator Pam Hawley.
“Vic gave me a call and suggested we do something before it’s gone,” Hawley said.
The pair then enlisted the help of Lyndon Hughes of Shaw Cable here to take video footage of various segments of the old high school.
“We were potentially talking about making a tape with historic photos and putting it together with how the building exists today,” Hawley said.
Nowak, Hawley, and Hughes were in the building last Wednesday, taking footage of various segments as well as looking for items and artifacts that possibly could go on display in the museum.
Workers recently began tearing down part of the old school on the north side—and the work already has turned up a little piece of history.
While walking past a pile of rubble from the tear-down, Hawley found a wooden board with the name J. East written on the back.
“The John East Company was an early construction firm at the turn of the century,” Hawley said, salvaging the board from the pile.
She’s hoping to get permission from the building’s three current owners—Steve Both, Charlie Morken, and Russell Pollard—to salvage a few more items that were left behind.
Hawley also is hoping to get input from local citizens for the project.
People with film/video footage, photos, or memorabilia from their days at old Fort High are encouraged to contact her at the museum to contribute to the “Saving School Memories” project.
As well, the museum is looking for people with stories from their school days.
“We’d like more input for stories, what it was like going to Fort Frances High School,” said Hawley, a graduate of FFHS herself.
Anyone who would like to contribute to the project can contact Hawley at the museum (274-7891).
In related news, workers have begun tearing down the older parts of the school and getting the three remaining structures ready for renovations.
“It’s basically the centre section, which is the old construction,” that will come down, Both said. He added it was difficult to say when the work would be finished.
“The demolition part will carry on until it’s complete,” he noted.
“We’re basically going to do it in phases. We’re in Phase One now,” Both explained. “We’re going to put a courtyard in that area. It will be fixed up quite nice in between the three buildings.”
Items like desks, chairs, blackboards, and lockers that were left in the building likely will be auctioned off eventually, Both added.
As first reported in September, according to a deal made with town council, the three developers have seven-and-a-half years to complete the project, which consists of demolishing part of the old high school and renovating the three remaining structures to lease out to clients.
The trio bought the property from the Rainy River District School Board for $1.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
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