Gladstone Public School Closes

July 4, 2016 - Opened in 1958, closed in 2016, taken shortly after closing. Gladstone Public School, 825 McConnell Avenue, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. Its best-known alumnus is actor Ryan Gosling  I went there well before Gosling did! 

Update 2018: It is across from what is now the main hospital in Cornwall as well as a large medical office, and the plans are to convert it into a medical office building. We used to play on the field behind the school in the summer and the skating rink that was there during the winter - I hope the field still remains open to the local kids. North of the school was a large vacant lot that ran up to Ninth Street that was used by the SDG Highlanders during the war. I found cut stone steps in the field that must have gone up to a long vanished building.

2012, still open

 large section was auditorium, seen from west side.

The auditorium had a bookshelf that served as a library and we had bookmobile visits. The Christmas play there in 1970 was inspired by the FLQ October Crisis. Santa Claus was kidnapped by gangsters, and a prop newspaper read 'Claus Kidnapped', modified from a real newspaper that read (senior UK trade commissioner in Montreal James) 'Cross Kidnapped'

 Graffiti on north side

Farewell Gladstone banner with palm prints

 View from McConnell

 from southeast side

Entrance at the end of Baldwin Ave

Update 2024: The school was damaged in an arson in 2020, which put an end to plans to convert it into a medical building. All buildings were demolished or removed sometime between November 2023 and March 2024 

After demolition, funnel ball hoop in far right background, photo taken March 23, 2024

Ghost of an airfield

The field used to be an airport for model planes. The runway was plowed over but some wreckage left behind. Gray's Creek Conservation Area, Cornwall, Ontario

Purdon 2016

Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor)

Insect pollinators

Shinleaf, Pyrole elliptique
Pyrola elliptica

Cloudberries, Rubus chamaemorus

Cotton grass, Eriophorum gracile

Steve Page, barenaked ladies, 1991

Free concert at University Centre courtyard, University of Guelph. I bought their "Yellow Tape" cassette from him for $5!

He gets his own coffee. With Ed Robertson (back to camera)

Double Rainbow at sunset, June 14, 2016

Prince of Persia yellow roses, passionflowers

Persian yellow roses, lots of blooms and well ahead of other roses in garden, also survived winter with little kill.

Passionflower

My Mister Hockey Moment

Gordie Howe, right winger with the Detroit Red Wings, image cut from a trading hockey card photo on back of Chex cereal boxes, circa 1963 to 1965 via Wikimedia Commons 

I was in the Desert Rose Cafe in Elora when it was still on Mill Street around 1997. I'd gone to the men's room which was in a section that was closed with the lights off. Someone was in it, so I just waited and tried to make a little noise to let whoever was inside know that someone was there so they wouldn't be startled when they opened the door.
The door opened and out came a guy in his late sixties, but ramrod straight and strong looking. Quick glance at me that said "Hey, I can still take you!" and he looked like he could.
I thought, "I know that guy...wait... it's Gordie Howe!"
He was at a table with his wife Colleen. I think they were staying at the Mill Inn next door.
They looked like they were just trying to get away by themselves for a bit. I didn't say anything to them.