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~ME ~lMGOE COUNTY 501\QD
The ··Overseers·· or Trustees are locally elected of- ficials who nurture education in our community. In 1857 they were appointed and stru88led to find the Collins- wood Grammar 0chool a home. i\fter a few years elec- tions look place and a first permanent home was found in 1866 in the small town hall. By 1874 they approved and oversaw the construction of the first real school buildins. The fire of 1923 put additional stress on the trustees as they planned for a new modern school in
1925. i\ proud sroup of trustees sal on the stase at the official openins of the new hish school buildins in 1954. i\n office wins and board room were the scene of many healed debates as the trustees expedited the educational process.
This all chansed in 1969 when the province of Ontario created larse amalsamaled Boards ofEducalion. The 0im- coe County Board ofEducation emersed and has srown to include over 98 schools by 1993 makins it one of the lop 15 larsesl Boards in Canada. Local trustees sit on this County Board and are responsible for the educa- tional process as well as lookin8 after local interests. Initially. the board sel up headquarters in a buildins lo-
cated beside tiishway 400 in Barrie. i\s the population levels rose the board had to rent many other buildine,s lo house all the personnel and equipment that comes with 8rowlh. Eventually after much debate. approval was 8ranled in the late 1980's for a new Education Centre to be buill in Midhursl. We have come a Ions way from a school housed in local hotel front rooms to a modern Colle8iate backed by a modern well equipped Educa- tional Centre. Below: The new Education Centre con- solidated numerous board-rented facilities scattered Lhrou8houl lhe county. This stale-of-the-art centre is located in a beautiful pine-treed seltins in Midhursl. the centre point of 0imcoe County. Top Ql., The idea of 'blue waters. while-capped hills. an expansive sky and
distant horizons· was the theme captured in the board lo8o adopted on i\pril 27th. 1988. The symbol was de- veloped from a concept submitted by a 8rade 13 Orillia student Mid. Ql.: The 0epl. 1992 0imcoe County lad- der of position Bot Ql.: The 1991 Operalins Bud8el. Compare this to the 1933 local Collin8wood budsel found elsewhere in this book.
1969