History
Both Holy Name of Mary Catholic Secondary School and Holy Name of Mary College School can trace their origin to the original Holy Name of Mary School (HNM) founded September 7, 1964 by the Felician Sisters. Founded as a private school on Mississauga Road, the Felician Sisters entered into an agreement with the Dufferin-Peel Separate School Board in 1972 making Grades 9 and 10 publicly-funded. In 1984, the Ontario government announced full-funding for Catholic high schools, and by 1987 Holy Name was funded up to Grade 13.
In a document dated January 3, 2005, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board released a planning committee report on the future of the school including options: (1) relocate the students to the vacant Loyala facility. ("Consideration of this option at this time will provide the Felician Sisters with approximately two years notice in which to consider their future plans for the building and property on Mississauga Road.") (2) purchase the school from the Sisters (3) opening a single gender boys' school (4) withdraw from single gender school education.
The Planning Committee recommended option 1, "That the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board transfer Holy Name of Mary students to the Loyala Facility." This recommendation included opening "a consultation process with the Felician Sisters, staff, parents, and students to obtain feedback on all motions approved pertaining to option 1."
A June 2007 Star article stated, "Two years ago, the board tried to move the school to another, less attractive location, but parents resisted. Then, the provincial supervisor – who runs the board – axed busing. Parents, however, rallied and arranged for busing on their own. There are more than 600 kids on the bus, out of the 875 at the school, said Charlene Amlinger, chair of the parent council. She said the lack of board-funded transportation may have been the "final straw" for the sisters." "The plight of Holy Name for each year for the last 10 years, whether transportation or relocation – it's been arduous."
In a Toronto Star article published in 2007, Holy Name of Mary School was considered one of the finest schools in Ontario. That same year, two years after the submission of the Planning Committee's report, the Felician Sisters terminated the lease with the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board for the Mississauga Road building effective September 2008. The Felician Sisters made this decision, "because they didn’t believe the board was committed to maintaining an all-girls school, said spokesperson Sr. Andrea Rita Marie Kowalczyk." “We’ve been committed to this (all-girls education) for over 40 years. We weren’t going to drop the ball now,” said Kowalczyk. Where the provincially funded board would only commit to a five-year lease with a 15-month opt out clause, the sisters now have a 20-year lease with an option for either party to terminate the lease after five years.
Despite the length of time between the board's decision and the Felician Sisters termination of the lease, staff and students at the school seemed ill-prepared for the reality of moving. "When the Felician Sisters’ decision regarding the future of Holy Name was announced last Friday, a shockwave went through the school. It was as if someone had died. Staff and students found themselves at a loss for words and, instead, resorted to tears and hugs." A student, Stephanie Paddley stated, "I pray the Board will recognize what a gem Holy Name is, and make an effort to preserve what we have, even if it means switching buildings, and getting a new name."
In 2007 the separate board committed itself to keeping the original Holy Name community open as a publicly-funded girls' school and, although the vacated Loyola facility was mentioned in the report, decided to use a vacant school site in Brampton as its permanent new home. Holy Name of Mary Catholic Secondary School welcomed students to the Glenvale Boulevard location in September 2008. The school's re-dedication of its new building in Brampton was held on February 11, 2009. The guests included Felician Sisters, Trustees, Board Staff, teachers, alumni, former Principals, clergy and His Eminence, Cardinal Thomas Christopher Collins (Archbishop at the time). The ceremony included a Papal Blessing for the school.
Read more about this topic: Holy Name Of Mary Catholic Secondary School
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