If buildings could speak… - A historical and architectural tour of Vaudreuil-Dorion

 

Harwood Elementary School

Main entrance of Harwood Elementary School (école primaire Harwood). © Bernard Bourbonnais – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017.
Harwood Elementary School. © Bernard Bourbonnais – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017.
Harwood Elementary School as seen from 8th Avenue. ©  Bernard Bourbonnais – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017.
Proposed concept by architects from De Belle & White and chosen for the Dorion Gardens Protestant Elementary School. © Lester B. Pearson School Board, Archives, Île Perrot Fund, P.S. Mun., R-0532.
Proposed concept by architects from De Belle & White for Dorion Gardens Protestant Elementary School (not chosen). © Lester B. Pearson School Board, Archives, Île Perrot Fund, P.S. Mun., R-0532.
Photograph of entrepreneur Roméo Pratt (left). With François-Xavier Brock Fuger (Pratt & Fuger), he instigated the creation of the Dorion Gardens sector. © La Presqu’île, July 17, 1958.
Excerpt of entrepreneurs Pratt & Fuger’s advertisement proposing the construction of bungalows and purchase of land in Dorion Gardens. © La Presqu’île, July 17, 1958.
Layout plan by architect Morris Greenbaum for the expansion of Harwood Elementary School in 1991. © Lester B. Pearson School Board, Archives, A-30.
Layout plan by architect Richard Donald Tobin for the expansion of Harwood Elementary School in 1995 (rectangle on lower left). © Archives of the Commission scolaire des Trois-Lacs, Dossier école primaire Harwood D3-113.
Teachers at Harwood Elementary School (école primaire Harwood) for the 1996-1997 school year. © Lester B. Pearson School Board, Archives, A-30.

place DORION GARDENS

Current name École primaire Harwood

Original vocation Elementary school, Dorion Gardens Protestant Elementary School

Address 186 8th Avenue, Vaudreuil-Dorion

Construction date 1966-1967

Architect, Firm or Contractor William George de Belle and John Edric White, De Belle & White Firm; Morris Greenbaum (1988 renovation and expansion in 1991); Richard Tobin (expansion in 1995)

Architectural type Institutional and non-residential

Status Institutional property (Centre de services scolaire des Trois-Lacs)

A SCHOOL IN DORION GARDENS

Located in the Dorion Gardens residential project1, Harwood Elementary School was built in 1966-1967 from plans drawn up by architects William George de Belle and John Edric White (De Belle & White)2. The building was originally designed for the Protestant School Municipality of Île Perrot3. On November 10, 1967, the Dorion Gardens Protestant Elementary School officially opened4. For budgetary and demographic reasons, the school closed in June 19815. Seven years later (September 1988), the entirely renovated school is reopened under a new name: « École primaire Harwood ». It becomes one of the five French institutions of the Lakeshore School Board6. On July 1, 1998, religious school boards were replaced by linguistic ones, and the school became part of the Commission scolaire des Trois-Lacs7.

Test your knowledge

In Dorion Gardens, an avenue bears the name of Curé-David. For what reason was it given that name?

Before Harwood Elementary School in 1991. © Centre d’archives de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Centenaire de Dorion Fund, M01.

After Harwood Elementary School. © Bernard Bourbonnais – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017.

People

Robert Unwin Harwood (1798-1863)

Originally from Sheffield, England, Robert Unwin Harwood (1798-1863) was a merchant who married Louise-Josephte Chartier de Lotbinière (1803-1869), the heiress to the seigneury of Vaudreuil, giving him an advantageous turn in life. Businessman, politician, justice of the peace and militia officer, he is an important regional historic figure. In fact, several places and buildings in Vaudreuil-Dorion bear the Harwood name in his honour.

References

  1. To facilitate reading and to respect Vaudreuil-Dorion’s historical development, the text in this heritage tour uses the names of Vaudreuil or Dorion for events prior to 1994, year in which the cities merged.

    Also, when citing this heritage tour, please do so as follows: Sébastien Daviau, Jean-Luc Brazeau, and Édith Prégent. If buildings could speak. A historical and architectural tour of Vaudreuil-Dorion. Vaudreuil-Dorion, City of Vaudreuil-Dorion / Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017, <https://www.circuitvd.ca>, accessed [insert date].

  2. Lester B. Pearson School Board, Archives, Île Perrot Fund, P.S. Mun., R-0532, Proposed plans Dorion School, De Belle & White Architects.

  3. Lester B. Pearson School Board, Archives, Minutes of the Protestant School Municipality of Île Perrot, July 17, 1965 to June 28, 1966, meeting of July 20, 1965 and Bureau de la publicité des droits de la circonscription foncière de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, registration number 107327, March 30, 1967. Notice given by Economic Structural Steel Inc. of Montréal which carried out steel structural work for the Dorion Elementary School owned by the Protestant School Municipality of Île Perrot.

  4. Lester B. Pearson School Board, Archives, Minutes from Protestant School Municipality of Ile Perrot, from June 20, 1967 to June 17, 1969, meeting of October 3, 1967.

  5. Lester B. Pearson School Board, Archives, Minutes of the Council of Commissioners of the Lakeshore School Board, March 9 to June 22, 1981, meeting of March 9, 1981.

  6. Lester B. Pearson School Board, Archives, Minutes from Protestant School Municipality of Ile Perrot, from June 20, 1967 to June 17, 1969, meeting of October 3, 1967 and Claire Sabourin et al. Dorion, au fil des ans. Livre souvenir du Centenaire de Dorion 1891-1991. Dorion, Ville de Dorion, 1991, Sco 27.

  7. Centre de services scolaire des Trois-Lacs, Archives, Minutes of the Provisional Council. Commission scolaire francophone, meeting of February 3, 1998, CP 98-02-79.