Fisher Park High School
Encyclopedia
Fisher Park High School (1949–1987) is a closed High School
in Ottawa
, Ontario
, Canada
.
Located within a kilometer of Island Park Drive, Fisher Park's student population included children of many of Ottawa's wealthier citizens and a large contingent of Ottawa's Portuguese and Italian communities. The area contains a number of embassies, and occasionally the children of ambassadors attended the school. During the late 1960s and early '70s the Ottawa School Board experimented at Fisher Park with extended freedom for students, e.g., allowing optional attendance at class and exemption from exams if they maintained consistently high grades.
On November 12, 1948, His Excellency Viscount Alexander
, Governor General of Canada, laid the cornerstone of Fisher Park High School.
By 1949, however, cost overruns in the building of the school were "deplored" and resulted in a protest by the Board of Trade. "The additional cost of Fisher High School will have a very decided impact on Ottawa's taxpayers" said Roy F. Fleming, the secretary of the Property Owner's Association at the time. Many felt that there was an over-emphasis on recreation (the plan had been to make Fisher Park not only a high school but also a community center). Plans to make the small gym into a pool, as well as a "girls" gym on the second floor, were scrapped.
Nevertheless, Fisher Park High School opened with the first day of classes on September 6, 1949. Construction continued for the entire first year of the school. Fisher Park was officially opened by the Honourable Leslie Frost
(Premier of Ontario 1949-61) on May 2, 1951. The school was named after a former Ottawa mayor and "distinguished Canadian", Harold Fisher.
In 1950, a contest was held to name the Fisher Park yearbook. Out of over 200 entries, a student named John Foulds won a cash prize for his suggestion: "Fi Pa Hi."
In 1969, former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau sent a letter of greetings to the students of the school for its 20th anniversary. The letter was published in the 68-69 Fi Pa Hi.
For 38 years, Fisher Park High was a proud, strong school described as "a student's dream come true," and claimed the distinction of being Ottawa's first composite vocational school, teaching academic subjects along with metalwork, woodwork, machine/auto shop, electricity, drama, arts, as well as finance and business. The first student body was 491 students in grades 9 and 10, and it peaked at 1,900 students in 1958, before the opening of Laurentian High which cut Fisher Park's population back to 1,439 in 1961. This number remained relatively stable for decades.
On October 25-26th, 1974, a 25th Reunion was held at Fisher Park. Hundreds of Fisher Park graduates returned to the school for festivities.
An excerpt from the yearbook entry about the 25th reunion:
"...All the students involved saw that hundreds of graduates were enthusiastically returning to Fisher Park to salute it. Their obvious pride in their old school, and the smiles of their faces as they recalled old memories at the Dinner Dance on Saturday night proved to be contagious. As one Fisher student remarked, "Nowhere have I seen so many people having such a really great time."
FPHS was closed by the Ottawa Board of Education
in 1987. On July 16, 1986, the then trustees of the OBE voted (9-7) to close Fisher Park High School. Few FPHS students who were at the school in 1986 will forget an assembly at which Trustee Alex Cullen
promised to help keep the school open, and then reneged and voted to close it.
The school crest was designed by Mr. Robert Walker, then the art director of Fisher Park High School's vocational art course, in the summer of 1952. The crest represented all courses within Fisher Park. The open book on the crest is symbolic of the general course, the open book representing learning. The three smaller panels below represent the three other courses at Fisher, the technical course, the art course, and the commercial course. A T-square, flask, cogwheel and electrical spark represent the technical course, the ship of commerce represents the commercial course, and the art section represented by a palette, brushes, pen and ink. The motto "Est Dignus", "Be Worthy", was given to Fisher Park by its first vice-principal, Mr. L. McCarthy." - 69-70 Fi-Pa-Hi Yearbook
In 1994 the school reopened as Fisher Park Public School
, a middle-school for students in grades 7 and 8. The building is also shared with the Summit Alternative School.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Located within a kilometer of Island Park Drive, Fisher Park's student population included children of many of Ottawa's wealthier citizens and a large contingent of Ottawa's Portuguese and Italian communities. The area contains a number of embassies, and occasionally the children of ambassadors attended the school. During the late 1960s and early '70s the Ottawa School Board experimented at Fisher Park with extended freedom for students, e.g., allowing optional attendance at class and exemption from exams if they maintained consistently high grades.
History
The story of Fisher Park began in 1945 when Ottawa had only 4 high schools, and a plan was underway by the Collegiate Institute Board (a cooperation between the Ottawa Separate School Board and the Ottawa Public School Board) to build Ottawa its fifth high school in what was then referred to as the West End. On July 25, 1945, after much debate, Fisher Park was chosen as the site for the new school, and was touted “the most up-to-date building for student and community use that can be built.” On December 21, 1946, the Ontario Department of Education announced approval of the school's plans, and building would begin in the spring. The school was estimated to cost $1,450,000.On November 12, 1948, His Excellency Viscount Alexander
Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis was a British military commander and field marshal of Anglo-Irish descent who served with distinction in both world wars and, afterwards, as Governor General of Canada, the 17th since Canadian...
, Governor General of Canada, laid the cornerstone of Fisher Park High School.
Nevertheless, Fisher Park High School opened with the first day of classes on September 6, 1949. Construction continued for the entire first year of the school. Fisher Park was officially opened by the Honourable Leslie Frost
Leslie Frost
Leslie Miscampbell Frost, was a politician in Ontario, Canada, who served as the 16th Premier from May 4, 1949 to November 8, 1961. Due to his lengthy tenure, he gained the nickname "Old Man Ontario".-Early years:...
(Premier of Ontario 1949-61) on May 2, 1951. The school was named after a former Ottawa mayor and "distinguished Canadian", Harold Fisher.
Harold Fisher
Harold Fisher, KC was mayor of Ottawa from 1917-1920 and a Liberal MPP from 1923-1926.He grew up in Toronto where he attended Jarvis Collegiate Institute, the University of Toronto, and then got his law degree from Osgoode Hall. He was called to the Ontario bar in 1902. He moved to Ottawa in 1903...
In 1950, a contest was held to name the Fisher Park yearbook. Out of over 200 entries, a student named John Foulds won a cash prize for his suggestion: "Fi Pa Hi."
In 1969, former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau sent a letter of greetings to the students of the school for its 20th anniversary. The letter was published in the 68-69 Fi Pa Hi.
For 38 years, Fisher Park High was a proud, strong school described as "a student's dream come true," and claimed the distinction of being Ottawa's first composite vocational school, teaching academic subjects along with metalwork, woodwork, machine/auto shop, electricity, drama, arts, as well as finance and business. The first student body was 491 students in grades 9 and 10, and it peaked at 1,900 students in 1958, before the opening of Laurentian High which cut Fisher Park's population back to 1,439 in 1961. This number remained relatively stable for decades.
On October 25-26th, 1974, a 25th Reunion was held at Fisher Park. Hundreds of Fisher Park graduates returned to the school for festivities.
An excerpt from the yearbook entry about the 25th reunion:
"...All the students involved saw that hundreds of graduates were enthusiastically returning to Fisher Park to salute it. Their obvious pride in their old school, and the smiles of their faces as they recalled old memories at the Dinner Dance on Saturday night proved to be contagious. As one Fisher student remarked, "Nowhere have I seen so many people having such a really great time."
FPHS was closed by the Ottawa Board of Education
Ottawa Board of Education
The Ottawa Board of Education was the public school board for Ottawa from 1970 to 1998. The board was created as part of a province-wide reorganization of the public education system. Previously, elementary schools had been supervised by the Ottawa Public Board of Education, while secondary...
in 1987. On July 16, 1986, the then trustees of the OBE voted (9-7) to close Fisher Park High School. Few FPHS students who were at the school in 1986 will forget an assembly at which Trustee Alex Cullen
Alex Cullen
Alexander Shaun Cullen is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a former Member of Provincial Parliament in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and a former member of Ottawa City Council, representing the Bay Ward in Ottawa's west end.-Early life and city politics:Cullen was born February 18,...
promised to help keep the school open, and then reneged and voted to close it.
The school crest was designed by Mr. Robert Walker, then the art director of Fisher Park High School's vocational art course, in the summer of 1952. The crest represented all courses within Fisher Park. The open book on the crest is symbolic of the general course, the open book representing learning. The three smaller panels below represent the three other courses at Fisher, the technical course, the art course, and the commercial course. A T-square, flask, cogwheel and electrical spark represent the technical course, the ship of commerce represents the commercial course, and the art section represented by a palette, brushes, pen and ink. The motto "Est Dignus", "Be Worthy", was given to Fisher Park by its first vice-principal, Mr. L. McCarthy." - 69-70 Fi-Pa-Hi Yearbook
In 1994 the school reopened as Fisher Park Public School
Fisher Park Public School
Fisher Park Public School is a public middle school in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, offering English and French immersion education for grades seven and eight...
, a middle-school for students in grades 7 and 8. The building is also shared with the Summit Alternative School.
Notable alumni
- Paul AnkaPaul AnkaPaul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
— A famous singer, songwriter, and actor. At the school in the 1950s he was part of a trio called the Bobby Soxers. http://www.history-of-rock.com/paul_anka.htm, also IMDB listing. - Tim HigginsTim HigginsTimothy Raymond Higgins is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played 706 career NHL games with the Chicago Black Hawks, New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings...
— A professional hockey player who played in the National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
from 1978 to 1989. - Robin Gammell — A professional actor with several movies and television shows to his credit. IMDB listing
- Andrew Moodie — A professional playwright and actor with several plays, movies and television shows to his credit. IMDB listing
- Luke RichardsonLuke RichardsonLuke Glen Richardson is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. Richardson played for 21 seasons in the National Hockey League...
— NHL hockey player 1987-2008; currently (2010) coaching with the Ottawa Senators. - Jeremy HotzJeremy HotzJeremy Hotz is a Canadian actor and stand-up comedian. He has appeared on Comedy Central Presents, the Just For Laughs comedy festival, The Late Show with David Letterman, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno...
— Canadian stand-up comedian, writer for The Jon Stewart show, actor IMDB listing