Ottawa - Ottawa Catholic School Board

When the Carleton Roman Catholic
Separate School Board’s Central
Resource Centre was dedicated as
the Derry Byrne Teacher Resource Centre in
1996, a display of historical items related to
education was assembled for the ceremony.
This proved to be the genesis of the Catholic
Education Museum of Ottawa-Carleton.
For that display, school board
archives were searched for appropriate
materials, individual schools were asked to
submit items and materials, and artifacts
were borrowed from the Mae Rooney
collection of school-related memorabilia
dating back to the early 1800s. This
successful display of historical items was still
a fresh experience when a committee, under
the chairmanship of Paulina Brecher, was
established on August 31, 1999 to plan the
celebrations and events for the Ottawa-
Carleton Catholic School Board to mark the
coming of the Millennium in 2000. One of the
suggestions which arose was to establish a
permanent Board museum to display items
of historical significance, including both
written and pictorial documents, and items
used by students and teachers in the past.
A millennium museum subcommittee
was formed under the direction
of Faye Powell as Chairperson. Others on
this museum sub-committee were Paulina
Brecher, Chairperson of the Millennium
Committee, Wayne Bishop, Ralph
Watzenboeck, Glenda Archer, Starr Kelly,
Carol Thibault and Glenda MacDonnell. This
sub-committee was tasked with directing
the museum project, including making an
application for a federal millennium grant.
Sub-committee members Wayne Bishop and
Paulina Brecher completed the detailed work
on the federal grant submission, with
Trustee Arthur J.M. Lamarche providing
invaluable liaison advice.
Upon approval of the federal
millennium grant, the museum project moved
EDUCATION MUSEUM
CATHOLIC
EDUCATION
MUSEUM
OF
OTTAWA-
CARLETON
ahead, with discussions held with Mae
Rooney, a retired principal, for the purchase
of all or part of her collection. She had put
together the collection over many years,
developing it into a unique collection of school
items and memorabilia including sets of
textbooks, provincial examinations, a set
of pupil lunch kits dating back to the early
1800s and a complete series of Catechisms
used in Catholic schools in Ontario over the
years. It was an invaluable collection of
school-related historical materials.
The timing to acquire this collection
proved to be just right, as the collection had
outgrown Mrs. Rooney’s home and she was
looking for an appropriate new venue for it.
The discussions between the school board
and Mrs. Rooney proved fruitful and an
appropriate deal was struck. Space to house
the collection was provided at the Derry
Byrne Teacher Resource Centre and the
collection was moved there thanks to the
efforts of the members of the museum subcommittee
and with the advice of Mrs. Rooney.
OTTAWA-CARLETON CATHOLIC SCHOOL BOARD
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An official dedication, opening and
reception for the new Catholic Education
Museum of Ottawa-Carleton was held at the
Derry Byrne Teacher Resource Centre on
April 4, 2001, with representatives of the
federal government, the school board and
others in attendance. The ringing of an
antique school bell, part of the collection,
announced the opening. A plaque unveiled to
mark the occasion was provided through the
efforts of Trustee Arthur J.M. Lamarche.
With the opening of the Catholic
Education Centre, the Board’s new central
administration facility on Hunt Club Road,
a room just inside the doorway leading to
the Board Room was provided to house the
museum and its collection. The transfer of
the collection from the Derry Byrne Teacher
Resource Centre premises to the new
location was undertaken by Faye Powell
and a group of retired Board personnel.
The Catholic Education Museum of Ottawa-
Carleton was set up and ready in time for
the official opening of the Catholic
Education Centre on February 16, 2003.
The Mae Rooney collection, which
is the foundation of the museum, is available
for research purposes. In addition, items
can be borrowed by schools for special
celebrations. The museum is open for visits
and presentations by teachers, students and
community groups. The museum is filled
with original school desks, books and
classroom memorabilia, set up in a school
room setting, reminiscent of the one-room
school house of the past where a single
teacher would be in charge of students at
every level of learning.
The Ottawa-Carleton Catholic
School Board is now the custodian of the
museum and the Mae Rooney collection.
The direction of the museum and its
operation fall under the jurisdiction of the
Historical Committee of the Board.