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This ongoing series from Barrie Historical Archive curator Deb Exel shows old photos from the collection and one from the present day, as well as the story behind them.
The Grenfel School
Sunnidale Road is part of the Nine Mile Portage and one of the oldest streets in Barrie, opening in 1833, thanks to Thomas and Richard Drury and Alexander Walker.
It was named for the Township of Sunnidale (now Clearview) and was described as “beautifully situated in a sunny dale close to a big river and in sight of the lake.”
It really wasn’t much of road at the time, either.
These days, Sunnidale Road heads upwards from Ross Street, over Highway 400, passing a beautiful park that used to be a golf course, two cemeteries and before you know it, you’re in the countryside. But instead of peeling off to go to Snow Valley or Barrie Hill Farms, go a little further on Sunnidale Road to reach the community of Grenfel.
Grenfel, originally spelled with two L's, saw settlers as early as 1830, but most records of the community start about 1833. With the exception of the church, the buildings that stood in the heart of Grenfel in the early 1800s – a tavern, post office, school and blacksmith shop – are long gone.
Not far from the village centre, Grenfel School, S.S. No. 7, is still standing.
There were actually three schools in tiny Grenfel, if you can believe it. The first one, in the village, was built about 1882.
Back in the day, it was not unusual for kids to bring outgoing mail from home with them in the morning, drop it at the post office at noon and then collect any mail to take home after school was out for the day, as part of their routine.
Eventually, residents in both the east and west Grenfel vicinities wanted schools of their own, so in 1915, two new schools were built: Pine Grove (S.S. No. 13) on the 12th Concession and Grenfel S.S. No. 7 on the north east corner of Sunnidale Road and what is now George Johnson Road.
The old original school was sold in the mid-1920s and demolished; some of the materials from the 1882 building were repurposed by the buyer in the construction of a new home.
The new Grenfel school was a red-brick building which presided over beautiful rolling farmlands from its hilltop location, standing sturdy and resolute against winds and snow throughout the harsh winters.
In the 1950s, the desks, and grades, in the one-room schoolhouse were organized in rows: Grade 1 on the left as you entered, the rows progressing across the room ending with the highest grade on the right. The teacher's desk was in the centre at the front of the classroom; a long rope nearby which rang the bell outside.
Until flush toilets were eventually installed, extreme caution was exercised by the smaller children to avoid ‘falling in’ the original plumbing system.
In 1947, the Grenfel and Pine Grove schools became part of the Vespra Township School Area along with Ferndale and Centre Vespra (7th Line).
By the ’60s, children were bused to each of the schools, according to their grade – some families had children in all four schools.
Parents were insisting on a centralized school with all their children under one roof. The site for such a new school was selected near Sandy Hollow, on Letitia Street. The new school, opened in 1972, was named Portage View as it was close to the Nine Mile Portage.
In 1972, the Grenfel school and the three other country schools, were closed and put up for sale.
The old red brick school house, Grenfel S.S. No. 7, is now a pretty residence. Some folks might also remember a time when it was not a school or home but a clubhouse for a motorcycle group.
