300 Rochester Street

In 1965 on the corner of Rochester and Gladstone, an anticipated new school building to house The High School of Commerce (1929 – 1990) was being built as the high school had outgrown its previous locations. The High School of Commerce operated from 300 Rochester St. from 1966 until 1990 when its slowly reducing student population became too small to sustain and it became the Adult High School to fulfill a growing population niche. 

I think this reinvention of the space and school name is rather fitting as it echos the sentiments of Frank Patten who was interviewed in March 1961 before the school was to be transferred, and he indicated that while 60% of the Collegiate Institute Board students were taking academic courses to enter university, only 15% of each grade 9 student body would actually continue to university. The title of the article was “High Schools Must Fill The Varied Needs of Students”. In rechristening the space it takes direction from Frank’s sentiment and fulfills the needs of the students.

Looking into one moment always leads me to more rabbit holes to venture through. The professional life of Dr. Frank G. Patten voted “Citizen of the Year”, who was previously a Superintendent for Ottawa’s Collegiate Institute Board also deserves a deeper dive. I would like to learn more about this Collegiate Institute Board of Ottawa, but until I can safely visit the Ottawa room to reference a book by Janet Keith, The Collegiate Institute Board of Ottawa; a short history, 1843 – 1969, I can only wistfully wait.