This is the introductory post in a six post series about the centennial of the William Burgess public school.
→During the 2013-14 school year I reviewed a collection of historical material at William Burgess Elementary School. I am a parent in the school, and I did this voluntary work as a member of the William Burgess Centennial Committee, which organized a celebration of the school’s centennial. This was held at the school on 3 May 2014. The work interested me as a historian too.
(For insight into the museum space that officially opened this month, see these pieces in The Star and InsideToronto.com, and a report by CTV News Toronto.)
Among the few items in these files were programs for the 1922 opening of a new wing of the school, and one for the celebration of its 70th anniversary in 1985, that are pictured here.
In a conversation with the head of the Museum and Archives, Greg McKinnon, I learned that it accepted donated material, and I learned from William Burgess Principal Jennifer Zurba, and other members of staff, that there was interest in donating the school’s collection.
The reasons for doing so were compelling. The material was kept in boxes and did not have a permanent home. Most of what I saw was damaged, and was likely to further deteriorate, and there was the possibility of losing material by having it misplaced. As it did not have its own space, and was not clearly organized, it was also difficult to access, making it less useful. Only someone with a connection to the school would have a chance of learning about the material, and there was no guide to the material. Finally, the connection between the collection and knowledge was weak. There was no substantial living knowledge, as far as I have learned, of the history of the collection or record about its creation, maintenance, use, and so on. The knowledge that does exist about this can only decline over time. All in all, then, the collection is of greater value housed in an actual archives or museum where its significant contents can be identified, preserved, and accessed.
In July of 2014, after the centennial celebration in May, and after the school year ended, I began the process of donating the collection to the TDSB Museum and Archives. In doing so I prepared a paper that described the collection, outlined the Centennial Committee’s work, summarized the celebrations it organized, and highlighted some of the ways the school recognized its one hundred years.
One of those ways was a school-wide effort to create a logo for the centennial. Students in every class produced their designs, with the best ones going forward to the Centennial Committee for consideration. Many were remarkeable, and all the designs were hung in classrooms and hallways to celebrate the students’ work and generate excitement about the open house event later in the year. The contest winner’s design, picture below, was digitally polished and quickly embraced as our centennial symbol.
