St. Mary's College, Sault Ste. Marie

St. Mary's College is a high school in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1956 by Basilian priests as an all-boys Catholic high school on St. Georges Avenue. As the school grew in popularity and size, St. Mary's began admitting girls in September 1987. That same year, the school moved into a new building (the former location of Lakeway Collegiate & Vocational School) on Wellington Street.

The mascot of St. Mary's College is a Knight, and all sports teams are now referred to as the St. Mary's Knights. Before the elimination of grade thirteen, there were three levels of competition. Senior level teams were called the Knights while the Junior level teams were the Squires and the Midget level teams were called the Lancers.

In 2006 St. Mary's celebrated its 50th anniversary. A long running tradition at St. Mary's College is "Pennies from Heaven" which raises money each Christmas season to be donated to various youth charities. This charity now raises approximately $20,000 each year (mostly in pennies) through organized school functions and concerts as well as from tremendous support form the community. The St. Mary's Knights senior football team has won the now defunct Central Bowl (one of the highest football achievements in Ontario) on three separate occasions. As well they have won the Northern Bowl three times, with head coach and St. Mary's College alumni Marty Smith. St. Mary's is noted for having many great achievements in sports, and is one of the top competitors at NOSSA (Northern Ontario Secondary School Athletics), and also in OFSSA (Ontario Federation of Secondary School Athletics). The St.Mary's Knight's also won both NOSSA and OFSSA Hockey Championships consecutively the past 2 years.

Athletics

St. Mary's College is home to many local, district, regional, and provincial athletic achievements. The St. Mary's College hockey team is back to back NOSSA and OFSAA champions (2009 & 2010) while the SMC Senior Football program holds many NOSSA and OFSAA championships. The 2003 SMC Senior Football team won the City of Sault Ste. Marie Medal of Merit, the most prestigious municipal award. St. Mary's College also competes in local junior football leagues as well as junior and senior men's and women's basketball. Volleyball is offered to females in the junior and senior category. St. Mary's College also has notable teams in badminton, soccer, cross country, and holds many records in track and field. Intramural sports include dodge ball, floorball and soccer.

Spirit Video

Students at St. Mary's College teamed up to produce a self endorsing video in 2009. The video, which showcased the many programs and experiences St. Mary's College offers, has received over 30 000 views on YouTube to date, and sparked local challenges from media outlets. The video which was fully endorsed by the students also became a common topic with alumni. The video starts at an entrance of the school, continues to do a tour of the first and second floor, while showcasing various subjects, organizations, and groups the St. Mary's College family is proud of. The video which is just over 7 minutes long and features The Black Eyes Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" concludes in the gym where the faculty and students engage in a choreographed dance and 2 school cheers.

Pennies From Heaven

Students and staff at St. Mary's College team up and reach out to their school community and the local community at large for 3 weeks in December every year. Pennies From Heaven raises $18 000+ every year with the highest tally being over $21 000. All proceeds go towards helping community organizations, and sometimes a student from SMC in need due to an illness as well as the vital school Breakfast Program. Students have daily activities during lunch breaks and school time where students pay an entrance/registration fee. The most notable event is Mr. SMC, a bachelor pageant involving 20 male students, with a female who escorts the male on stage. Students must show a talent, answer questions, and do sometimes embarrassing dares, all in the spirit of charity and the prestigious Mr. SMC crown. Pennies from Heaven runs the first 3 weeks of December every year Don't be surprised if you see students fighting the winter cold in penny and star costumes along Wellington Street asking for donations for the charitable cause.

The New St. Mary's College

In 2012, the Huron Superior Catholic District School Board approved a plan to build a New St. Mary's College. To be located at the corner of Second Line East and Pine Streets, the new school will amalgamate the current St. Mary's College, St. Basil's Secondary School and Holy Angels Learning Centre. At time of writing, land clearing has been completed and the construction of the school will begin in the spring of 2013. The new school will be accommodating to both the school community and the community at large. It will also nurture a competitive relationship between Superior Heights Collegiate, Sault Ste. Marie's newest High School to date.

Notable alumni

• Joe Fratesi – former Sault Ste. Marie Mayor, and current Sault Ste. Marie C.A.O
• James Loney – a peace activist who was held captive in Iraq for several months.
• Carmen Provenzano – former Sault Ste. Marie MP
• Ron Francis – NHL player 1981-2004 - 2 time Stanley Cup Champion, both with the Pittsburgh Penguins
• Marty Turco – current NHL player
• Dennis Vial – NHL player 1990-1998
• Paul DiPietro – NHL player 1991-1997
• Brian Finley – NHL player 2005-2007
• Jordan Smith – professional ice hockey player
• Chris Thorburn – current NHL player
• Matt D'Agostini – current NHL player

See also

• List of high schools in Ontario

Sources

• Official site