Cathedral High School (Hamilton, Ontario)

Cathedral High School
The Crest for Cathedral High School Probitas et Scientia Goodness and Knowledge
Address
30 Wentworth Street North Hamilton, Ontario, L8L 8H5 Canada
Coordinates	43°15′13″N 79°50′54″W / 43.2536°N 79.8484°W / 43.2536; -79.8484Coordinates: 43°15′13″N 79°50′54″W / 43.2536°N 79.8484°W / 43.2536; -79.8484
Information
School type	Public, Catholic/High School
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic
School board	Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board
Superintendent	Mrs. Kovacs
Principal	Mr. Mark Daly
Vice principal	Mrs. C. Defend-Ionico, Michael Lawlor, John Pusztay
Grades	9–12
Average class size	25-30 students
Language	English and French Immersion
Colour(s)	Blue and White
Mascot	Gael
Website	chs.hwcdsb.ca

Cathedral High School is a public Roman Catholic high school in Hamilton, Ontario, under the administration of the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board. Cathedral High School dates back to 1912, when high school classes where offered to the youth of Hamilton by the Hamilton Separate School Board.^[1] Classes were held in two rooms at St. Mary’s School, located on Mulberry Street. By 1921, enrollment had increased significantly and the two rooms could no longer hold the amount of people. The boys were soon moved to the upper floor of St. Patrick’s School on East Avenue and Main Street. While the girls remained at St. Mary’s.^[2] In 1925, the Separate School Board authorized the building of a new and larger building.

People of Catholic faith were asked to donate money to help build the new school by the Holy Name Men of various parishes.^[3] In 1928 Cathedral Boys’ High School was officially opened on Emerald and Main Street, where it still stands today. In the same year the Girls’ School took over the space on the top floor of St. Patrick’s School. The gym and the labs at Cathedral Boys’ had to be shared between the boys and the girls.^[4]

In 1951, the memorial Wing was added onto Cathedral Boys’. In 1955, the girls moved into their new building on Main Street two blocks east of the boys’ school. It was not until 1995 that the two separate high schools were amalgamated into one Cathedral High School.^[5]

In 1995, the new state-of-the-art facility on Wentworth Street was open, merging both the boys and girls into one school, instead of sharing the old two sites together. The Wentworth Street site is still in use to this day.^[6]

The new school brought amalgamation and new progress. Cathedral High School has the Board's French Immersion program, a state of the art ESL program, as well as the Academic, Applied and locally developed courses to meet the needs of all students. Cathedral also has programs in the technologies including Food Services, Communications Technology, Construction Technology, Cosmetology, Automotive Technology, Technological Design and Health Care. Other exciting courses include Art, Drama and Music. The Physical Education program is also extensive, offering many sport-focused courses. Cathedral has one of the largest high school gymnasiums in the country. Cathedral’s tradition of service, caring, compassion and striving for excellence is a source of pride and inspiration for future generations.

Reunions & Anniversaries

In 2003 The school celebrated 75 years with a large gala event hosted at The Wentworth Street location, and was attended by various alumni. School Archive materials were on display, there was live music in the gymnasium, a catered dinner, and an anniversary Mass was celebrated in The Board of Governor's Forum, which was attended by approximately 600 people.

On September 28 and 29, 2012, Cathedral High School celebrated its 100th Year Reunion as the Cathedral tradition dates back to 1912. Visit http://www.cathedral100yearsreunion.ca/ for photos from the event.

Student Clubs

Cathedral offers many clubs that students can join:

Student Council, CHSTV News, Eco Team, Year End video Crew, Glee, Choir, Band, SWAT, Health Action Team, Yo Go Girl, Best Buddies, Board Game Club, Cathedral Works, Reading Club, Breakfast Club, Gael Guides, Culture of Life, Art Club, Stage Crew, Gael Gazette, Diversity Ambassadors, After Hours Tutoring Program (AHT), and many more.

Notable alumni

• Mike Cornell, CFL player, currently active on the Edmonton Eskimos
• Dwayne Harvey, former Alabama State University basketball player, participated in the 2011 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament^[7]
• Nathan Kanya, CFL player, currently active on the Edmonton Eskimos
• Brian Melo, winner of the fifth season of Canadian Idol^[8]
• Taylor Ormond, former Baylor University Women's Tennis Player
• Toni Ormond, Ball State University Women's Tennis Player
• Patrick Pugliese, former member of the Canada Men's National Water Polo Team, participated in the 1972 Summer Olympic Games and the 1976 Summer Olympic Games^[9]
• Pat Quinn, former player and head coach in the NHL, most recently with the Edmonton Oilers^[10]
• Bishop Reding, former Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario and patron of Bishop Reding Catholic Secondary School in Milton, Ontario^[11]
• Rocco Romano, former CFL player, inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2007^[12]
• Dave Stala, CFL player, currently active on the Montreal Alouettes^[13]
• Tomi Swick, critically acclaimed musician and Juno Award winner^[14]
• Melissa Tancredi, soccer player for the Canada Women's National Soccer Team, winning bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games^[15]
• Tyrone Watson, former New Mexico State University basketball player, participated in the 2010, 2012, and 2013 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournaments^[16]
• Sebastian Crosta, Red Seal Chef, Hamilton's Favourite Son
• Mike Dziuba, first French Immersion Championship Football Player (1989,1990 champs)

References