Ottawa - Ottawa Catholic School Board

sign on and support the new school. In 1967,
the Catholic ratepayers of School Section
No. 9 Marlborough joined the new Catholic
school board. This, combined with the impact
of a new housing project under construction
in Richmond, resulted in another significant
increase in enrolment at the school.
January 1, 1969 was the date of the
creation of the new county-wide Carleton
Roman Catholic School Board. This meant the
dissolution of the Combined Roman Catholic
Separate School Board of Beckwith, Goulbourn,
Marlborough and Richmond. Thereafter,
St. Philip became one of the schools of the new
county Catholic school board. H.F. Beingessner,
who was so instrumental in the launching of
St. Philip Catholic School, became the
representative for the local area on the new
board of trustees. In 1970, St. Philip received
an addition, which included seven classrooms,
a science room which doubled as a classroom,
a library, storage areas, a principal’s office, a
nurse’s room, a teachers’ room, gym change
rooms, an instructor’s office, and washrooms.
W.N. Construction again served as the general
contractor.
The additional space was needed as
enrolment at St. Philip grew, reaching nearly
500 by the 1980s. An additional three portable
classrooms were required to accommodate the
increased population. The school experienced
some enrolment relief when the Carleton
Roman Catholic School Board opened St. Mark
Catholic High School in the fall of 1980.
Grades 7 and 8 students, who had been
attending St. Philip in Richmond, were
transferred to St. Mark that offered these grades
in addition to their high school programs.
Sunday, December 1, 1985, marked
the 25 th anniversary celebration of St. Philip
Catholic School. More than 250 people
attended the event and were treated to
reminiscences by first principal Anne Casey,
who was still teaching at the school, and Harry
Beingessner, one of the original trustees. The
SCHOOL HISTORIES
Carleton Roman Catholic Separate School
Board trustee at that time, Hugh Connelly, in
his remarks at the celebration, said that the
existence of St. Philip School was a tribute
to the local Catholic ratepayers who had the
foresight, courage and basic gumption to
ensure that their children were educated in
a Catholic environment.
St. Philip received a facelift in
1991, when the older section of the building
was extensively renovated and upgraded.
W.N. Construction was, once again, the
general contractor.
In 2004, a library/computer lab
complex was added, giving the school a
state-of-the-art high-tech information centre.
McDonald Bros. Construction Ltd. carried
out this project for the Ottawa-Carleton
Catholic School Board with the firm of
Pye & Richards as the architects.
Present Principal
Edward Rogan (2004-present)
Past Principals
Anne Casey (1960-62)
Dennis O’Brien (1962-72)
Carolyn Arbour (1972-75)
Peter Gravelle (1975-80)
Gerry Leveque (1980-85)
Sister Rita McBane (1986-91)
Helen Anderson (1991-95)
Joan Gravel (1995-96)
Lucy Miller (1996-99)
Joanne Farquharson (1999-2004)
First Teaching Staff
Anne Casey
Rodrique Boivin
Carol Montabone
Former Students
Dan Murphy, who played in the
Canadian Football League with Edmonton,
Toronto and Ottawa
OTTAWA-CARLETON CATHOLIC SCHOOL BOARD
270
Brad Tierney, who played in the
Canadian Football League with the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Ottawa
Rough Riders
Rev. Michael Ruddick, current
pastor of St. Michael’s Parish in Corkery
School Colours
Green, white and gold
The Beginnings
Harry Beingessner, speaking at
the 25 th anniversary celebration of St. Philip
Catholic School in Richmond in December
1985, recollected the beginnings of the school
as follows:
In 1959, he was driving into
Ottawa with another Richmond resident,
Les Jennings, when Mr. Jennings remarked
that his wife Gertrude had suggested that
there should be a Catholic school in
Richmond. Mr. Beingessner was intrigued by
the suggestion and began investigating how
to start such a school. The parish priest,
Father O’Rourke, was approached and
supported the idea and Mr. Beingessner was
given the task of finding out how a school
was to be established.
A school board was formed in
Richmond in January 1960, with the rest
of the parish being added over the ensuing
years through the creation of various rural
boards, all coming together to form the
Combined Roman Catholic Separate School
Board of Beckwith, Goulbourn, Marlborough
and Richmond. This school board became
part of the new Carleton Roman Catholic
Separate School Board in 1969.
Dr. J.A. (Bob) McKiel was the first
chair of the school board, and the trustees
were Bill Evans, Jack Duffy, Harry
Beingessner, Des Stapleton and Doug
McNaughton.