On Saturday, while giving driving lessons, my students and I drove along Second Line, where the new Superior Heights school is well on its way to completion.
As we were going by something caught my eye, so after finishing the lessons I drove up there again, this time heading up North Street.
The demolition of Bawating has begun.
As an alumnus, it is a bitter-sweet sight to behold.
To be honest, I was never one of those die-hard, my-school-is-the-best-school kind of students. After all, in my day you didn’t have a lot of choice; basically you went to the school nearest your home.
I wasn’t a athlete, nor an athletic supporter. So while I did have pride in our sports accomplishments, I didn’t believe I was witnessing a dynasty as the more rabid fans believed.
I was, however, a part of the Bawating Band, under the direction of Frank Elliot. We learned a lot about music, and we were good!
I was in the Band for the trip to England in 1978 – what a blast that was!
In the end, high school was just a few good years, and then it was over.
I am glad I went to Bawating, especially for the music program and Frank’s mentoring, but while I have some fond memories, I have no great longing to go back and do it again, nor do I wish that high school had never ended.
But seeing the building being torn down does tug somewhat at my heartstrings.
Don’t get me wrong – while the design may have won awards when it was first designed and built, the building itself was no prize! Anyone who attended, taught, or worked there knows what I mean.
Stairs!
While most of the secondary schools in the Sault were built with at least two floors, Bawating also had “half-floors.” the west wing of the building (Science rooms above, Offices below) was offset from the north and south wings by a half flight of stairs.
Not only that, but there were rooms at the landings of the half flights.
Even if an elevator were installed, there would still be rooms that would remain inaccessible.
As an aside, White Pines, the newest of the ADSB's existing high schools, has no half-floors, but it was built to follow the slope of the land, and has three short sets of stairs at the transition points. The difference is that ramps were able to be installed at these small flights of stairs to complement the elevator at the front entrance.
But stair weren’t its only problems. The “award winning” design also included a lack of windows.
Oh, there were windows; vertical panes – which did not open at each end of the classrooms, with a row of horizontal pains along the ceiling. Supposedly the students would be less distracted, and better able to focus on their studies, if they could not see out of the building.
It also meant that natural light was in shorter supply.
Of course, there were some positive aspects to the building. The shops were huge – bigger than those being built in newer schools – and very well equipped.
I took a general interest wood working course at Sheridan College in the early 90s, when I was living in S. Ontario. I was surprised by the lack of equipment, by comparison, in the College’s wood shop.
And the Music Room was “home” for us band geeks. It perhaps was not as large as those at Korah or White Pines, but it was ours.
I spent the better part of four years in that Music Room – hanging out there at lunch, during spares, and of course during music class and band rehearsals (8:00-8:45, every week day!).
So it was especially sad to see that the tech wing and Music Room were the first to go when demolition began.
Don’t get me wrong – I’ve checked the plans, and I’m sure the new building will be great. I’m hoping that I get a chance to teach there when it opens.
And I’m not one to dwell in the past, and wish that by-gone days would return.
I’ve watched as other buildings have been torn down, and fields and woods where I used to play were replaced with housing subdivisions. But none of those caused the pang I felt seeing the old school coming down.
Judging from some of the comments on my Facebook page from fellow Braves, others feel the same way.
Fortunately, my memories were not contained in the building. Long after the building is gone, I will cherish the many good times I had while at Bawating.
But… that’s just my opinion.