Oakville Trafalgar High School

Oakville Trafalgar High School (OTHS, often referred to as OT) is a secondary school located in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. The school receives most of its students from nearby feeder schools, including Maple Grove Public School, École E.J. James Public School, St Luke's Catholic Elementary School, St. Vincent's Catholic Elementary School and James W. Hill Public School, as well as many students coming from private schools.[6]

Oakville Trafalgar High School
Main entrance
Address
1460 Devon Road

Oakville
,
Ontario
,
L6J 3L6

Canada
Coordinates43°28′21″N 79°39′16″W
Information
MottoPalma non sine pulvere (Latin)
(No reward without effort)
Established1908
StatusOpen
School boardHalton District School Board
PrincipalChristina Peterson[1][2]
Grades9-12
Enrolment1275 (2023-2024)[3]
Hours in school day6.35 Hours
Colour(s)   Black and Red
AthleticsFootball, Volleyball, Basketball, Curling, Baseball, Rugby, Soccer, Swimming, Cross Country, Hockey, Field Hockey, Golf, Tennis, Track, Ski, Snowboarding, Field Lacrosse
NicknameOT
Team nameRed Devils[4]
PublicationDevil's Advocate [5]
Websiteoth.hdsb.ca

The school is also host to a YMCA child care centre for children aged 18 months to five years.[7]

History

Oakville Trafalgar High School was the second high school established in Oakville.[8] Before, there was Oakville Grammar School on Navy Street where a branch of the Oakville Public Library now stands. That school was redesigned by architect Alfred Chapman and became the original Oakville Trafalgar High School in 1908 on Reynolds Street.[8] In 1946, the districts of Trafalgar and Oakville merged and the school's name was changed to Oakville Trafalgar High School.

Students of the school in 1915

During World War I and World War II, the school field was converted into a field where students grew crops to send overseas. During this time different sports and clubs formed, with the two most popular being rugby and hockey. Both attracted a large fan turnout. The largest and most popular change was the allowance of dances; dances were banned in the school. 34 students, listed on the school's cenotaph, fought and died during World War II.[9]

By 1988, 80 years after it opened, the Halton District School Board determined the OTHS building on Reynolds Street no longer met the school's needs.[10] The superintendent said the existing building was crumbling, overcrowded, antiquated, and had no room to expand;[10] the chair of the board called it "overcrowded and rundown."[11] Renovation was considered at first, but ultimately the board opted to relocate the school to a "high-tech" $18 million new facility on Devon Road.[12] This decision was controversial in the community because of the cost and the perceived demerits of the site.[11] The debate spread beyond public complaints and into the legal realm: a police investigation was opened to review the board's actions, but no misconduct was found and no charges were laid.[13]

Despite the friction over the years-long process to upgrade the school, the new OTHS location on Devon Road opened in September 1992.[13] At the opening ceremony, former Oakville mayor (and former OTHS student) Bill Perras called it "one of the most controversial schools ever built."[14] The new building, designed by local architect Andrew Bruce,[15] features a stylized brick facade in the main atrium that mimics the roofline of the original school on Reynolds Street.[16]

Prosthetic breasts controversy

In September 2022, the school was the subject of an international controversy after a transgender teacher was filmed teaching a class wearing large prosthetic breasts with protruding nipples.[17][18][19] The Halton District School Board defended the teacher and said the teacher's employment was rightfully protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code, though it stated that it was also reviewing its dress code policy.[20][21] People's Party of Canada (PPC) leader Maxime Bernier called for the teacher to be fired.[22] Some parents and PPC supporters protested the teacher's clothing.[23][24]

In November 2022, the board's dress code review recommended not adopting a stricter dress code for all employees because it could open the board up to liability for human rights violations.[25][26]

In January 2023, Halton District School Board reversed its position, and announced a dress code for teachers beginning in March 2023.[25] As of early March 2023, the teacher is still employed at the school board.[27] The teacher who was the subject of the controversy has since left Oakville Trafalgar and accepted a position at Nora Frances Henderson Secondary School.[28]

Relay for Life

In 2019, Oakville Trafalgar High School was Canada's number one youth fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life event, raising over $1 million for charity in the years the fundraiser has taken place.[29][30]

Notable alumni

See also

References
  1. "2023-2024 OTHS Faculty". Halton District School Board. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  2. "School Details". Halton District School Board. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  3. "School Details". Halton District School Board. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  4. "Sports". Oakville Trafalgar High School. Google Sites. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  5. "It's here! Enjoy the June edition of @OakTrafalgarHS's favourite newspaper: The Devil's Advocate". Twitter.com. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  6. "Grade 9 Registration - Checklist HERE - OTHS GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  7. "YMCA of Oakville - Oakville - Oakville Trafalgar High School - Licensed Child Care Centre - mississaugahaltonhealthline.ca". www.mississaugahaltonhealthline.ca. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  8. "School History". oth. Oakville Trafalgar High School. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  9. "The stories behind the names on a cenotaph". InsideHalton.com. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  10. Tyler, Tracey (March 1, 1988). "Plan to replace school angers Oakville parents". Toronto Star. p. W2.
  11. Hudson, Kellie (October 19, 1989). "Building school "defies logic," taxpayers say". Toronto Star. p. W1.
  12. Nikiforuk, Andrew (November 8, 1991). "FIFTH COLUMN EDUCATION Andrew Nikiforuk reports on a school board that has been doing some very funny things". The Globe and Mail. p. A.16.
  13. "New OTHS facility opens as opponents still cry foul". Oakville Beaver. January 6, 1993. p. 6. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  14. Hart, Dianne (April 30, 1993). "Controversial past surfaces at official opening of new OTHS". Oakville Beaver. p. 2. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  15. "Developer can move Bronte heritage buildings". InsideHalton.com. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  16. "New OTHS facility opens as opponents still cry foul". The Oakville Beaver. January 6, 1993. p. 5. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  17. Azad, Hadi. "Halton school board addresses dress code after teacher's controversial attire". www.chch.com. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  18. Bovy, Phoebe Maltz (2022-09-20). "Opinion: Ontario teacher's prosthetic bust offers a lesson about body shaming". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  19. "Images of Halton District School Board teacher in Oakville wearing prosthetic breasts in classroom go viral". thestar.com. 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  20. "Images of Halton District School Board teacher in Oakville wearing prosthetic breasts in classroom go viral". thestar.com. 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  21. "Ontario school board is now reviewing dress code after busty teacher controversy". www.blogto.com. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
  22. Garbutt, Herb (2022-09-25). "PPC leader Maxime Bernier calls for Oakville teacher's dismissal at Burlington rally". Inside Halton. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  23. Yanchus, Kathy (2022-09-23). "'It's just wrong': Protesters react to Oakville transgender teacher's "inappropriate" dress". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  24. "'It's just wrong': Protesters react to Oakville transgender teacher's "inappropriate" dress". InsideHalton.com. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
  25. "Dress code ordered after Oakville teacher wears prosthetic breasts". CP24. 2023-01-10. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  26. "Halton school board 'making good progress' on dress code tied to Oakville high school controversy | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  27. "Teacher at centre of dress code controversy no longer working at Oakville school". CP24. 2023-03-02. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  28. "Controversial trans OT teacher moves to Hamilton".
  29. Slack, Julie (May 29, 2019). "Oakville Trafalgar raises $1-million over the years participating in Relay For Life". InsideHalton.com. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  30. "Oakville schools' Relay for Life fundraisers among top five in Canada". thestar.com. 2022-07-15. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  31. "Zenon Andrusyshyn". Oakville Sports Hall of Fame. Oakville Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  32. "Larry Cain". Oakville Sports Hall Of Fame. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  33. "Hundred years of high school memories". insideHALTON.com. Burlington Post. 28 May 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  34. Le, Julia (7 March 2014). "Oakville's Dillon Casey stars in Canadian medical drama Remedy". insideHALTON.com. Oakville Beaver. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  35. "Former OT student Gagner cracks Canadian Jr. team". insideHALTON.com. Burlington Post. 16 December 2006. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  36. "First NHL goal a memorable one for Oakville's Goloubef". InsideHalton.com. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  37. "Canada's 2018 Men's Olympic Hockey Team". www.hockeycanada.ca. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  38. "James Hinchcliffe". insideHALTON.com. Burlington Post. 6 November 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  39. "Dead female combat pilot went to school in Oakville". Oakville Beaver. October 30, 1994. p. 2. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  40. Manegold, Catherine S. (January 1, 1995). "The Short Flight of a Fighter Pilot". 6. The New York Times. p. 35. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  41. Blackburn, Angela (21 May 2008). "OT reunion set to salute a centenarian". Burlington Post. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  42. D'Souza, Claudia (December 12, 1999). "When the Governor General Calls". The Oakville Beaver. p. 9. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
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