Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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DONALD ROSS IN IHHl the Trafalfiar Institute, as it was Jiarn«; l at firhl, was op ;nf;d, lw ;nly y ;arH after it had [xcn found- ed accorrling to the will of Donald iioss. ' J h ; first I ' rotestant private girls ' school in Montreal, its original hoard included many distinguished man, among them I ord Strathcona and Sir William Dawson. The school was set up on its present Simpson Street location, in the house which had previously belonged to the Mitchell family, rather than on the old Tra- falgar property designated by Donald Ross. The first chairman of the hoard was the Rev. Dr. James Barclay, and the first headmistress was Miss Grace Fairley. By the end of its first year Trafalgar had six boarders, and about the same number of day girls. Miss fairley was detained by illness in her family, and did not arrive from Scotland until after Christmas. Miss Woolen became acting principal; the other teachers were Miss Smith, Miss Labatt, and Miss Sym. The classrooms and dormitories were all in part of what is now the boarding house, and the present drawing-room was then divided into a recreation room and the Principal ' s sitting room. At first there were only two classrooms, on the second floor; then more were added on the third floor, and a new wing was built. Gym and drawing classes were held in an outside building, originally a coach-hovise, and it was here that the girls sometimes put on plays. Sir William Dawson ' s arrangement of the proposed curriculum only allowed for two classes, in preparation for University, and only girls over thirteen years of age were admitted. In 1890 the trustees decided to open a Preparatory class, and in 1893 the regular division into forms was made. For quite a few years the final examinations were conducted by outside examiners, mainly from McGill. There were classes in English, French, German, Maths, History, Latin, and Botany. Gymnastics were limited, and tennis, made diflicuh by long skirts, was the only game played; basketball was introduced later. A NINETEENTH CENTURY SIXTH FORM 16]

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Miss Fairley, the Principal, who arrived after Christmas, brought discipline and order to the previovisly far too free and easy life of the school, and laid the foundations on which Trafalgar was so successfully built. She worked hard to make Trafalgar a good school, and her pupils both loved and respected her. She had a great effect on the characters of the girls whom she taught, and they remembered her with affection and admiration. Early students remember — When Trafalgar was founded, life in Montreal was completely different from what it is today. The surrounding land was almost country, with large estates with spacious grounds. There were no cars, and the girls were not allowed out on the streets without a chaperone. The school itself was an innova- tion and there were very few pupils. — there was boarders ' walk, much the same as today, but with considerably fewer girls. In the first school magazine (1918) the first boarder to arrive in 1887 recalls going on walks alone for a month accompanied only by a teacher, and living in the house in solitary splendour, waiting anxiously for the arrival of the second boarder. — also remembered were two daughters of a missionary in the Caribbean, who had only one coat between them, so that only one at a time could go out in the winter. — after Miss Fairley ' s arrival. Scripture lessons were held every Sunday, with one girl reading a passage out of the Bible each week. Everyone wanted to choose the 117th psalm (two short verses) but no one quite dared. — ■ short plays and concerts were put on by the girls in the coach-house, and they were much enjoyed, despite the frequent lack of audience. — early students remember many things, serious and funny, but their strongest memories are of Miss Fairley, and what she did for them and for the school. THE ORIGINAL TRAFALGAR GIRLS Back Row: Miss Labatt, Norah Morris, Florence Botterell Middle Row: Florence Trenholme, Lizzie Shewan, Lena Labatt, Effie Baker Front: Ethel Dobell [17]