Westlane Scondary School occupies a 15 acre portion
of the former Pitton Farm on Lundy's Lane at Kalar Road. Its name
derives from its position at the West end of Lundy's Lane. It serves
the South West end of the former township of Stamford, the Town of
Chippawa and the Township of Willoghby. Westlane developed to its
present capacity of 1300 students in three stages.
The original structure built to accommodate 720 pupils, consisted of eleven regular
classrooms, library, art, music, commercial, three science rooms,
two home economics rooms and seven shops. There was no auditorium
but a stage was constructed which could be used either from the gymnasium
or the cafeteria.
Plans were approved on April 15 , 1959 and the contract
for $1,295,000 was let to R. Timms Construction of Welland. Construction
was to be completed by September 1960. During the 1961-1962 school
year a building programme was undertaken at Stamford C. I. and from
November 25, 1961 to June 1962 Westlane operated as the home of both
Stamford C. I. and Westlane Secondary School staff and students.
From 8:25 to 12:45 it was Stamford and from 1:00 to 5:45 it was Westlane.
In February 1963 the first addition, consisting of eight classrooms
and a science room on the south side and four shops on the east side,
was completed. This construction by Bignucola Construction raised
the overall capacity to 1,020.
In 1964 four portable classrooms were added and in
1965 two more. These interim measures lasted until the completion
of the second addition in October 1967.
This final addition, with D. N. Chapman acting for
his second time as architect but wit Stewart and Hinan as contractors
completed the present structure. Seven new classrooms were added
together with a new cafeteria, a new library, a large group instruction
room, a gymnasium, staff rooms, storage facilities and alteration
to the existing building which established adequate guidance department
facilities.
Since the final addition was completed in Confederation Year a Centennial
Capsule was buried under a stone chair in the courtyard of the library.
It contained a copy of the Official School Opening Programme, staff
and student lists and other data. It was due to be opened in 1987.
Earl K. Raham, chairman of the Stamford District Board of Education,
appointed Mr. W. E. Dewar, then Vice Principal of A. N. Myer Secondary
School as Westlane’s first principal teacher.
Mr. Dewar served from 1960 until June 1970 and superintended
the school through all its building programmes.
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