School bell will ring another day

Please note: This event has been postponed.

The bell, rescued from the Nottawasaga and Creemore Public School Annex, also known as Creemore Continuation School, has been installed in the lobby of the senior site.

It will be unveiled at a ceremony Tuesday morning, with special guests and dignitaries in attendance. The public is welcome to attend.

When the annex was shuttered and put on the real estate market, local residents set about trying to keep it from being sold with the school. 

The bell has been mounted in a way that it can be rung on special occasions. Because the lobby of the school is relatively small, the unveiling will be viewed from the gymnasium via a live feed.

The bell, said Gerry Blackburn, was purchased in 1882 by the citizens of Creemore and the surrounding township for a new four-room school built the previous year. When a larger six-room school opened in 1917, the bell was added to its roof. 

Blackburn, and members of the of the school reunion committee, wanted to make sure the community icon was not lost into private hands. 

He will be a guest speaker at a special ceremony at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 29, along with local historian Helen Blackburn. 

Intermediate students will lead attendees in a singing of the school song, and the primary choir will perform. 

Several school dignitaries will also be in attendance, including Director of Education, Steve Blake, Associate Director (and former Creemore Principal) John Dance, and Area Superintendent, Michael Giffen.