Mahone Bay Old School_A Life and Times_Bob Sayer

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Home Economics and Industrial Arts………..Finally, 1977
It had been a dream of H.V. Corkum and his ambitious school board of the 1930s, but
the Town Council had squashed it. The Second World War years had been distracted.
The school board of the 1950s just didn’t have the ambition. The new addition had
planned to include them, but budget over-runs led to their being cut back. The relief
and pleasure of Mr. Dexter rings out in this Bridgewater Bulletin article.
• Four years of rejection, followed by a “yes.”
• Nancy Cornish, the new home
Economics teacher remembered
getting the phone call. “ I was in
the middle of cooking supper. The
two kids were yelling, the dog was
barking. It was August, and there was
Mr. Dexter on the phone asking me if
I was interested in the job. He was to
be the best principal I ever had…
• There were eight kitchen units to
stock with cutlery, pots and pans
and dishes. He told me I had a
$1000 to spend at Gow’s. I’m proud
to say I managed it.
• New equipment was arriving right
up ‘til the day school opened.
• And I was in school band, too.
Mike O’Connor knew I played. He
dropped a flute on my lap, and told
me I was in the band.”
• There were no industrial arts
teachers available at such notice.
• Dave Allen was drafted in from
math and history to do the job for a
year.
• The renovations [basement for
i.a. and classroom for home ec.]
and equipment were expensive.
The Town, even with Department
sharing, had to float a loan.
What Made The Difference in
Getting Department Approval?
…Home and School
A very determined Home and
School got involved and led the
charge. After four rejections by bureaucrats, it was decided a Home and School
delegation would go and talk to the man himself, the Minister of Education.
The intrepid group was led by Barb Stevens [president], Bertha Douglas [secretary],
Bob Sayer [at the time this writer had three children at the school. As principal at
New Ross School-which had both programs- he wrote the brief to be presented], and
Joan Levy.
The presentation was very much based on the principle of equity. Why should
Mahone Bay students be deprived of programs available to just about all other
students in the province? Mahone Bay wasn’t asking for something extra, just
something every other school already had!
Roberta Douglas:
Bertha Douglas, wife of Bob Douglas, was the long-time secretary of Home and
School in the 1970s. The request to meet with the
Minister of Education, the Honourable George Mitchell,
was in her name. He astonished the rest of the delegation
by greeting her warmly, and having her sit right next to
him in his office. The rest of us teased her on the way
home. The delegation was received well, and shortly
afterwards the announcement came that the application
was approved in principle by the minister: the Department
would share in capital costs [renovations], equipment,
and the salaries of the two teachers. There is no doubt that
the direct approach to the top made the critical difference.
The was an interesting exchange in the provincial legislature between the local
MLA, Bruce Cochrane [himself a Mahone Bay school graduate] and the Minister on
Tuesday April 5th.
Mr. Bruce Cochrane ….Is your Department now prepared for an approval for an
Industrial Arts program and Home Economics program for Mahone bay Consolidated
School….I should ask whether you know…that this is the only school in Lunenburg
County not able to offer…..
Hon. G. M. Mitchell …..I certainly did receive a brief
and a group of people did come to my office…they made
some valid points…..I am fully aware of the situation
and a very capable brief was presented to me….the
school should have that kind of program…we are very
hopeful…that it will work out.
It took until August for all the financial details to be
worked out, agreed upon and signed off. This meant
a huge rush to be ready for when school opened in
September.