Open New School at Deux Rivières

Many admiring persons attended the official opening Sunday of the new St. Lawrence Separate School at Deux Rivieres. TOP: A view of the school which has been designed to accommodate more than 30 students. BOTTOM: Rene Houle of Mattawa, who represented the Association of Bilingual Education for Ontario, 'cut the ribbon to officially open the school.

DEUX RIVIERES (Staff) — The first bilingual separate school in the history of the Deux Rivieres district was officially opened Sunday afternoon.

Known as the St. Lawrence School, the new building will accommodate more than 30 children of the community and will provide classes in both English and French.

The school is the second of its kind between Mattawa and Pem¬broke. The other is at Rolph- ton.

Rev. S. P. Brown, parish priest of Stonecliffe, blessed the school at a brief ceremony held in the classroom following the cutting of the ribbon by Rene Houle of Mattawa, who repre¬sented the Association of Bi¬lingual Education for Ontario.

Addressing the gathering, Father Brown said that Catholics are often misunder¬stood in respect to the term "separate schools."

"We do not wish to be segre¬gated. We only want a full education for our children. We must teach the children how to live," he said.

Father Brown added there is no such thing as a neutral per¬son in respect to religion.

"People are religious or they are not," he explained.

Father Brown told the gathering that the children of Deux Rivieres are fortunate in that they will be taught two languages, and in having the new school they would be in a position to further the work of their faith.

Mr. Houle, who spoke in English and French, congratulated the citizens of Deux Rivieres.

"It isn't the largest or costliest school in Ontario, but to you it is the most important," he said.

Mr. Houle paid tribute to Maurice Shank the school's teacher, and added that the latter would make the school one of the best.

Separate school inspector Fran¬cois Moreau of North Bay assured those present that the new school would provide good training in both English and French.

"I might add that the people of Deux Rivieres have done wonders with the money they had to build the school," he said.

Mrs. A. Boissonneault and Aldebert Pilon, chairman of the school board, thanked those present for attending the open¬ing of the school. Other speakers were Reeve Leslie Donnelly of the Township's of Head, Clara and Maria; Rev. M. Gaudreault,

Armand Cote, Mattawa; Maurice Shank and A. Boissonneault. Tea was served by the ladies of Deux Rivieres under the direction of Mrs. Ernest Bouchard.