École Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague (Sudbury)
| École Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague | |
|---|---|
École Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague in 2025 | |
Interactive map of École Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague | |
| Location | 162 MacKenzie Street Sudbury, Ontario P3C 4X8 |
| Coordinates | 46°29′48″N 80°59′51″W / 46.49667°N 80.99750°W |
| Built | 1915 |
| Architect | Peter James O'Gorman |
| Architectural styles | Collegiate Gothic, Art Deco |
| Designated | December 15, 2020 |
| Reference no. | 26121 |
École Saint-Louis de Gonzague is a historic building and former school in the Uptown neighbourhood of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Constructed in 1915, it is the oldest school building still standing in Sudbury.[1] The school instructed in French despite the enactment of Regulation 17 in 1912, which limited French-language education in Ontario, until it was repealed in 1927.[2] The school closed in 2000, and Sudbury Indie Cinema operates from the former gymnasium.[1] The building was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 2023.[3][4]
History
Construction of the school began in July 1914 at a cost of C$50,000, and it officially opened on January 18, 1915, as the Central Separate School at what was then the corner of McKenzie and Davidson streets.[4][5]
Classes were initially held in both English and French. Until the repeal of Regulation 17 in 1927, which limited French-language education in Ontario beyond grade 2,[2] the use of French was hidden from provincial inspectors during visits.[4] In 1923, the school was renamed for Saint Aloysius Gonzaga and the school became exclusively French.[3]
Secondary education was moved to Sudbury High School in 1940.[4] Students in Grades 9 and 10 moved there in 1968, until the opening of Ecole secondaire MacDonald-Cartier in 1969.[6] Thereafter, the school served as an elementary school until it closed in 2000.[7]
In 2019, the Sudbury Indie Cinema Co-op began operating in the former gymnasium of the school. The building was designated as a heritage site in 2023, with a Ontario Heritage Trust plaque being installed in front of the building.[3][7]
Architecture
The original 9,800 square feet (910 m2) structure from 1915 originally faced Davidson Street[5] until the construction of the English St. Aloysius School in 1923.[1] St. Aloysius School was demolished in 2016.[1]
The building was constructed using local materials, with 450,000 bricks manufactured by the Sudbury Brick Company and lumber sourced from the Laberge Lumber Company.[5] It was the first building in Sudbury with a mechanical plenum ventilation system.[5]
The interior was finished with birch floors, golden oak trim, and tin ceilings.[5] Some of the tin ceilings were later repurposed for Place des Arts, a Franco-Ontarian arts centre that opened in 2022.[8]
To accommodate more students, a four-room art deco extension to the school was completed in 1931.[4] The building was renovated and a gymnasium was added in 1994.[4]
Notable alumni
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Gilhula, Vicki (2020-11-19). "Then & Now: Sudbury's historic buildings are disappearing". Sudbury.com. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- ^ a b Kitts, Daniel (2016-02-25). "Why Ontario once tried to ban French in schools". TVO Today. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- ^ a b c Lamothe, Jenny (2023-09-25). "École Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague designated a heritage building". Sudbury.com. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Dupuis, Serge (2023). "Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague School". Ontario Heritage Trust. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- ^ a b c d e "Central Separate School Strictly Sudbury Made". The Sudbury Star. 1915-01-23. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ^ Wallace, Carl; Thomson, Ashley, eds. (2010). Sudbury: rail town to regional capital. Toronto Oxford: Dundurn. p. 231. ISBN 978-1-55002-170-7.
- ^ a b "When teaching French was against the law, this Sudbury school resisted". The Sudbury Star. 2023-09-27. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- ^ Galvin, Terrance (2022-11-01). "Under One Roof: Place des Arts, Greater Sudbury, Ontario". Canadian Architect. Retrieved 2025-09-19.