BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST
Now that Hospice Kingston is open, you may be thinking that this is the first time there has been a building on that part of the Heathfield property. But St. Paul’s School was temporarily located in that general area of the property from 1953 to 1957.
According to Sister Mary Electa, in an essay she wrote in 1972: “In 1953 as more new sub-divisions were growing up, St. Joseph’s school became over-crowded and the School Board set up a temporary structure of two rooms on the Heathfield property, and called it St. Paul’s. It afforded far from comfortable quarters but two Sisters of Providence kept the 50-60 pupils there for [four] years. The name was appropriate, for like the Apostle of the Gentiles the two Sisters of Providence and the pupils were for [four] years in danger of floods and fire as the rain and snow came in, and the space heaters threatened to explode. Then a new St. Paul’s was built across Highway No.2 on McMahon Avenue.”
St. Paul’s School was blessed and opened on Tuesday, October 13, 1953. According to a newspaper article at the time, the new two-room elementary school was built as a one-storey portable frame building. It could be easily broken into two separate units to be easily transported to another location. It was built behind the Motherhouse and faced west on Philips Street, which makes me think it must have been near where Hospice Kingston is now.
A permanent St. Paul’s school opened in September 1957 on McMahon Avenue, where it is still located today. 15 Sisters of Providence taught at St. Paul’s School between 1953 and 1972. Here are a few extracts from the Congregational Annals about the school:
August 27, 1953 – A two room school, to be opened in September on our property, is under construction. It is supposed to accommodate the children of this district, including the orphanage. The little ones have been going by bus to St. Joseph’s school.
September 17, 1953 – His Grace accompanied by Fr. J. Sullivan made a short visit of inspection to the school under construction and infirmary buildings.
October 13, 1953 – The new portable St. Paul’s School opened its doors today to the children of the district, including the children of St. Mary’s Orphanage. These children have been accommodated up to the present at St. Joseph’s School. The teachers in charge of the two class rooms are Srs. Marion and MacDonell. Number of pupils registered was seventy-nine.
March 11-15, 1957 – Rotary Festival of Music was held in the city. Our Sisters’ pupils did very well and many including our temporary St. Paul’s School carried home trophies.