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Background Information
The building consisted of eight class rooms, three science rooms located over
the auditorium and opposite the school library on the second floor. The gymnasium
was below the auditorium and had an indoor track/gallery. The offices were inside
the main entrance and opposite the auditorium.
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The architect was Charles Wellington Smith, an architect of national importance
and resident of one of the cottages on the west side of Jane south of Dundas
(Stone mullions and elegant brick were Smith's trade mark).
The auditorium windows were stained glass and the library shelves had glass
doors.
The first principal was Bruce Clark whom the High School Board hired away from
Humberside Collegiate. He took the position on condition that he would be given
a free hand in running the school and that he would do so on an "Honour System".
The first staff had the prerequisite number of Masters degrees for a Collegiate
Institute as opposed of High School to offer Grade 13 as a first year of university
study.
The school was named Runnymede after the area which in turn had been the estate
of John Scarlett. He named his home after the field of Runnymede where the Magna
Carta was signed by King John.
The red and white school colours derive from Scarlett's name. The school opened
the year of Canada's Diamond Jubilee and the colours assigned to Canada by the
College of Heralds were Red and White.
In 1928 four classrooms and a second gymnasium were added. A major addition
to the school was constructed in 1957/58 which provided a swimming pool, auditorium,
classrooms and offices. The field and the track were diminished.
The large gymnasium, 16 classrooms and field to the south were added in 1966.
Charles Wellington Smith expressed his disappointment at not continuing as the
architect for the later additions.
On October 30, 1958 the new (second) addition to Runnymede Collegiate was officially
dedicated. Mr. Dilworth was the chairman of the impressive opening.
This
year we are fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of the facilities
provided by the opening of the new addition. These include a new auditorium,
which seats approximately 500 students, and a swimming pool, which gives us
the opportunity to have students come out after school and prepare for a swim
team. One of the more important features of the addition is the large cafeteria.
Its modern kitchen enables our fine cooks to prepare a variety of foods. The
teachers can now enjoy a peaceful lunch period in the room provided for them,
away from the noise of the cafeteria. Our music fans have not been forgotten
either. They now have a spacious, sound proof music room. We have also acquired
two new classrooms, one of them being a guidance room equipped with ample storage
space for the most of the necessary occupational information. There are also
two washrooms and two telephone booths. Last but not least are the new offices
with all the convenience to keep our school running in its usual efficient style.
~~ Phil Rimmington Magna Carta 58-59
The last addition to Runnymede
Much of this year -1964-65- has been spent in preparing detailed plans for an
addition which will be completed within the next year. It will contain five
new commercial rooms, two geography rooms, two science laboratories, a new art
room, a group instruction room, four seminar rooms, five regular classrooms
and a new gymnasium.
Renovation and remodeling in the present building will bring about many changes
and improvements. The cafeteria will be extended into the area now occupied
by the small gym and will have an entrance directly from the locker room area:
the gymnasium will be changed by removal of the balcony; two one-story additions
will provide a change and shower room for girls and an adequate office for the
girls' Physical Education staff. The nurses' room will be relocated and the
general office will be re-arranged and enlarged to provide a completely new
area for the Guidance Department.
Runnymede High School was designed by the architect Charles Wellington Smith
who was a resident of one of the cottages on the west side of Jane Street just
south of Dundas Street. The school was officially opened on Friday Evening November
11, 1927.
The First Building
The first building consisted of eight class rooms, three science labs, an auditorium,
a library, a gymnasium, a cafeteria and a locker area on three floors. The school
had a boys and girls entrance from Jane Street and a boys' entrance on the north
side of the building and girls' entrance on the south side leading to the appropriate
boys' and girls' locker rooms.
The Lower Floor
The cafeteria, gymnasium and locker area were located on the lower floor or
what may be considered the basement. The cafeteria faced Jane Street just below
the main office. Opposite the cafeteria was the gymnasium which had an indoor
track and during games this was used as a viewing gallery by students. There
were two entrances to the gymnasium for boys and girls. These entrances were
opposite the main entrances to the school from Jane St. but on the lower/basement
floor.
The First Floor
The Office, Four Classrooms and the Auditorium Mr. Clarke, the school first
principal who was hired away from Humberside Collegiate, had his office on the
first floor facing Jane Street between the main entrances to the school and
opposite the auditorium. There were four classroom on the first floor, two beside
the office and facing Jane Street, and two beside the auditorium. The north
classroom on the first floor facing Jane Street beside the main office was mainly
occupied by Ms. Laura Mundy's. Mr. R. Whidden mainly occupied the south classroom
beside the main office. The auditorium was on the first floor, opposite the
office, overlooking the football field. The auditorium was build over the gymnasium
and had stained glass windows.
The Second Floor
The three science rooms, two regular size and one smaller, were located on the
second floor over the auditorium. They were accessed by stairs since they were
on a higher level than the hallway in order to accommodate the height of the
auditorium. On the same floor, opposite the three science rooms and over the
main office was the library overlooking Jane Street. Four other classroom were
also on the second floor over the first floor classrooms. Mr. K Shaver mainly
occupied the classroom on the second floor on the north side and Mr. Wilbert
Barber mainly occupied had his classroom on the south side facing Jane Street.
The other teachers Ms. Bessie Griffith, Ms. Edna Hildred, Mr. William Kenyon,
Mr. Albert Rumble and Mr. Leslie Smith occupied and/or shared the remaining
classrooms.
The Teaching Staff
The first teaching staff consisted of four females and six males--four of which
had their M.A.S the prerequisite number of Masters degrees for a Collegiate
Institute as opposed of High School to offer Grade 13 as a first year of university
study. Mr. Clarke retired in 1949, Mr. Wilbert left in 1947, Ms. Hildred left
between 1942 and 1946, Mr. Kenyon, Ms. Mundy, and Mr. Rumble left in 1937. Mr.
Smith left in 1933, Ms. Griffith in 1935, Mr. Shaver and Mr. Whidden left sometime
before 1932.
The Second Addition - 1928
In 1928 twelve more classrooms were added, eight at the north end and four at
south end. A second smaller gymnasium was also added on the south side adjacent
the main gymnasium. Now both boys and girls had their own gym and the school
could be called a Collegiate.
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The Third Addition - 1957
A major addition to the school began in 1957 and on October 30, 1958 the third
addition to Runnymede Collegiate was officially dedicated. Mr. Dilworth was
the chairman of the impressive opening. The new addition provided a much needed
and larger cafeteria on the south of the building. Its modern kitchen enabled
Runnymede's fine cooks to prepare a variety of foods. The teachers could now
enjoy a peaceful lunch period in the room provided for them, away from the noise
of the cafeteria. East of the cafeteria a swimming pool was built. Over the
cafeteria facing east, a newer and larger auditorium was build with a seating
capacity of approximately 500 students. On the opposite side of the auditorium
facing Jane Street and over the cafeteria, newer offices were built for the
principal, vice principal, office staff and the guidance department. On the
south side and beside the auditorium, the school now had a more spacious and
sound proof music room.
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The Last Addition - 1966
The much needed large gymnasium was completed in 1966. (The Grade 13 that year
wrote the much dreaded Departmental Exams in the still unfinished gymnasium).
The last addition also consisted of five new commercial rooms on the lower south
level, two geography rooms and a large group instruction room just above on
the first floor, two science laboratories, a new art room on the second floor,
four seminar rooms and five regular classrooms. The cafeteria was extended into
the area occupied by the small (girls') gym and will have an entrance directly
from the locker room area. The boys' gymnasium was changed by removing of the
balcony and closing the two entrances to the balcony from the locker rooms.
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