Mahone Bay Old School_A Life and Times_Bob Sayer

• The desks were doubles, seating two students-always either two boys or
two girls together!
Photo, above and following: Courtesy Margaret Freeman-Kedy Collection
What The School Didn’t Have
• Auditorium, The biggest limitation was the absence of a large auditorium
that could be used for a gymnasium and school assembly. Until 1963 the
school was obliged to use community resources for concerts, exhibitions,
public meetings, closings, and sports like badminton and basketball.
• Domestic/Manual Training, There were no Domestic Science or Manual
Training Departments. Lunenburg and Bridgewater had them and shared the
specialist teaching staff.
• Principal’s Office, There was no principal’s office. It was a full-time teaching
position.
• Heating, Despite the Inspector’s optimism, the heating system was old fashioned
hot air. The newfangled steam heating, favoured by the new Bridgewater
School was not installed. The school was soon in difficulties with heating.
• Electric lighting, was not installed. The trustees were soon obliged to install
it in the basement, so that the janitor could see to work, especially in winter.
It was not until 1944 that the school was fully wired for lighting.
• A Finished Attic, Bill Snyder, who has helped the Mahone Bay Centre with building
and furnace maintenance, and been a board member, gives an idea of the size
of the huge attic, still unfinished. Over the years there have been many unfulfilled
plans to finish it off and make it usable for offices, workshops and storage.
1916: one of the Freeman girls, daughter of Captain John Freeman of the December 1913
tragedy, poses prettily at one of the school’s window recesses. Note the smart coat, the wide
collar and the dress hat.
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