Marymount Convent / Marymount High School

Institution founded in 1960, Montréal, Québec.

The history of Marymount School is closely connected to Saint Augustine of Canterbury School (both in Montreal). It all began in 1931, when Saint Augustine School inaugurated its secondary 1 classes. However, in order to complete their high-school studies, students needed to transfer to the Pedagogical Institute or D’Arcy McGee School. From 1936, secondary 2, 3 and 4 classes successively opened at Saint Augustine School until September 1960, when all high-school level classes were permanently transferred to the new Marymount School, situated at 6320 Côte Saint-Luc Road. The boxes were packed and the moving trucks arrived. In December, 1960, the high-school teaching staff and their students moved to the new school. In September of the following year, under the supervision of Marymount School’s first director, Sister Sainte-Paulina (Pauline Darche), the enrolled students numbered more than seven hundred eighty young men and women divided into thirty-six classes. Because the new school was already too small, three groups of secondary 1 students were transferred to Saint Augustine School. For the first time, a secondary 5 class was added. The new school was so popular that, over the years, the number of enrolled students increased steadily. Hence, because of the lack of space, classes also were held in other neighbouring schools. Indeed, not only was it difficult for students to pursue their academic program, it was also challenging for them to participate in a multitude of extracurricular associations and clubs. There were religious groups: Sodality of our Lady, Junior Legion of Mary and Young Christian Workers. There were also basketball, mathematics, art, sciences, theatre and other types of clubs. In 1967, there were twenty-eight clubs, in addition to the school choir and newspaper. It seems needless to ask why students flocked to this school.

 

The history of the sisters of Marymount School was tranquil and joyful, until 1967, when the Montreal Catholic teachers - nine thousand at the time - went on strike to claim better working conditions and better salaries. During the entire month of January, the sisters did not report to work. Negotiations between teachers and the school commissions were slow-going. These negotiations were promptly interrupted with the passing of "Bill 25." This measure suspended, until June 1968, the teachers’ right to strike and to collective bargaining. After this episode, calm returned to Marymount School. In 1970, it became a Composite School. In addition to being able to benefit from the regular program, the boys were offered technical courses, while the girls were offered courses in cooking, household and industrial sewing and beauty care. In 1972, with the decreasing number of sisters, they had to leave the convent and move to a smaller residence. In June 1984, the sisters permanently left teaching at Marymount School.

NB: This text was written using documents found in the archival holdings in our possession and does not constitute a complete administrative history of the teaching establishment.

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Marymount Convent / Marymount High School

Marymount Convent / Marymount High School

Montreal, Quebec

Institution fondée en 1960

Dernière adresse : 6300, chemin de la Côte-Saint-Luc

6300, chemin de la Côte-Saint-Luc