Learn more about General Brock Public School!
OUR HISTORY
Jesuit missionaries visited this area in the early 1700's and established their mission to the Huron Indians in 1747 near what is now Assumption Church. A community known as L'Assumption grew up as a farming and fur-trading centre to the west of the Mission. The first settlers, along with the natives, were of French descent followed by families of British, Irish, Scottish and African descent after the town was renamed Sandwich.
Fort Pontchatrain (Detroit), across the river from Sandwich was taken from the French by the British following the Seven Years' War in 1760. In 1776, after the American Revolution, the eastern United States gained independence from Britain, but it wasn't until the signing of Jay's Treaty 1796 that the Americans gained control of Detroit and British Loyalists moved to Sandwich.
A town site was purchased from the Hurons in 1797 by Mr. Peter Russell, President of the Executive Council of Upper Canada. A street plan was created and a draw for lots was held. That street plan included the corner of what was then Bedford and Huron streets, (now Sandwich and Brock streets). This corner was to be the social hub of the new community and was intended to be the site of a church, a courthouse, a school and a community gathering place. Most early British towns contained such a "hub". It is believed that the corner of Sandwich and Brock housing St. John's Church, Mackenzie Hall (formerly the Essex County Courthouse), St. John's Church Hall ( now part of the Westgate apartment building), and General Brock School, may be Ontario's last surviving example of this British plan.
A school was erected at the corner of Bedford and Huron Streets in 1808. The stone building was used as a barracks during the War of 1812 and again during the Rebellion of 1837. People of enormous historic significance - Major-General Sir Issac Brock, Chief Tecumseh and Colonel John Prince worked, planned and fought from this very spot.
When the building was not being used as a barracks, it continued to be used a s a school. In 1868, the stone building was demolished and a two-story brick school-house was erected partly on the foundation of the old barracks.
At first, only two rooms on the first floor were used, while the upstairs served as a town-hall and concert-hall. There was a stage in the large room upstairs, thus the building, busy in the daytime as a school, was the centre of the townsfolk meetings, plays, and social gatherings at night.
As the population of the town grew, it became necessary to use the second floor for classrooms and the Sandwich Public School, as it was then called, required the services of four teachers. Not many years later it was necessary to use St. John's Church-house to care for the ever-increasing number of students.
By 1914, it was decided that a new and larger building was needed. The Board of Trustees, including Dr. W. J. Beasley, Mr. D. Tasker, Mr. James Pillon, Mr. G. W. Gray, Mr. W. N. Gatfield, Mr. W. G. Wells, and Mr. H. Hill called a meeting of the public school supporters on April 22, 1914, and it was decided to build a new school at a cost not exceeding $65, 000.00, furniture included.
On August 15, 1914, a special meeting was called to decide upon a name for the new school. Mr. G. W. Gray suggested the name of "General Brock School" and this was approved by those present.
Mr. Edward C. VanLeyan from Detroit was the architect, and the contractors were Welles and Gray. The eight-room building eventually cost $75,000.00. While the architect was bonded, a quick-sand base was discovered, and the Board members had to support the architect with their personal bonds in order to ensure the completion of the school.
General Brock School was officially opened on September 1, 1915. Additions to the building were made in 1950-51, 1953-54, and in 1967.
FOOTNOTE ON HISTORY
Windsor's west side, including the Sandwich area, suffered through the middle years of the twentieth century. As people struggled with a myriad of problems, the rich history of the area was ignored by many. Some building of historic value was razed.
Fortunately for all of us, this erosion of our history was noticed by Evelyn McLean, Dr. Gregg Hanaka and many others, including the students and staff of General Brock School itself.
In the late 1970's, Ms. McLean and the Friends of the Court began their fight to save the Essex County Courthouse. At about the same time, Dr. Hannaka attempted to start a business association in Sandwich. Support for their efforts grew slowly but solidly.
In 1983 the students from General Brock with the encouragement of staff, began to take a renewed interest in the history of their school and their community. They realized, by observing the efforts of others that with a just cause, community support and hard work, children can make a positive difference.
Following the motto, "We can make a difference", Brock students appeared at City Council meetings to lobby for a much-needed Sandwich Community Library. They were successful in having the corner of Sandwich and Brock Streets designated as Bedford Square when they learned that it was an important terminal of the underground railway and the home of one of Ontario's first black newspapers, Henry Bibb's "Voice of the Fugitive", they convinced City Council to designate the month of February, Black History Month in Windsor. A school beautification programme, though, proved to be the most important contribution made by the Brock Students to the rebirth of Sandwich.
In 1983, it was decided that playground equipment, that was located in the front yard, could be moved to the back of the school because of a land swap between the City of Windsor and the Windsor Board of Education. With this equipment gone, something needed to be done to improve the appearance of the front of the school. A School Beautification Committee was formed. After meetings with Ms. McLean, Dr. Hannaka, and Reverend Terry Dance of St, John's Church, this committee grew into the Sandwich Beautification Committee. Merchants and others in the community contributed money to purchase trees and shrubs for the school. It was in April of 1984 as people from the community came to General Brock to assist the children in landscaping the schoolyard that the spark for the Sandwich Business Association was struck. The Sandwich Beautification Committee soon became the Sandwich Business Association.
The results of this unique organization - merchants, professionals, clergy, school representatives and members of the community at large - are obvious as you walk down Sandwich Street today.
The rich heritage of this area will be embodied in the new General Brock School as construction begins in 1997, the year that marks the Bicentennial of Olde Sandwich Towne. With the school, a community library and the Sandwich Community Patrol all housed in one building on this site we remain true to Peter Russell's plan. General Brock School and Bedford Square will be the "social hub" of the community.
Since that time, the enrollment of the school has grown to the point where in April of 1995; the Windsor Board decided that the present building was in need of replacement. Funding from the Ministry was delayed until January of 1997 when the planning was resumed to construct a new building that would also include a branch of the public library as well as a Police Community Service Office, and a Daycare centre and an Ontario Early Years Centre (the official re-opening was on May 5, 2000). At present we have 309 children from JK to Grade 8 and our Early Years Program is full day every day.
Address and location
- 3312 Sandwich Street - Windsor, Ontario N9C 1B1
- Where we are located:
Contact us
- 519-254-2571
- [email protected]
- 519-254-2840 (fax)
Grades available
- JK to Grade 8
Accessibility
We are committed to providing an accessible environment for students, staff, families and our community. Learn how you can notify us about an accessibility concern for your child, view our Multi-year Accessibility Plan and find out more about our school's accessible infrastructure.
Allergies and foods/scents restrictions
We are committed to maintaining a safe environment for all students and staff. Learn about our allergy alerts, including restrictions on sending certain types of foods and scents with your child to school.
Bullying prevention and intervention
The GECDSB's Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan outlines our long-term, school-wide approach regarding bullying prevention and intervention, including:
- Education, awareness and outreach
- Bullying and cyber-bullying
- Types of behaviour and evaluation of evidence
- Policies and procedures
- Approved strategies and programs
- Goals and action plans
Code of Conduct
The GECDSB's Safe Schools Policy is based on the provincial and the Ontario Code of Conduct, which set clear standards of behaviour for students, staff, parents, guardians, volunteers and any other individuals involved in public education.
View our Code of Conduct policies, including standards of behaviour and employee standards of conduct.