A Protest on Shirley Street

It was one of the last bastions of grand old brick schools — magnificent in its own austere way. And in 1962, my two best friends and I decided we had to save it. Even though we were leaving anyway to go to Alexander Muir Public School for Grades 7 and 8, we couldn’t let it be destroyed.

Up a tree for a good cause

Kathy, Lucy and I built a treehouse in the big old elm in front of Shirley St. Public School. On the morning of the planned demolition, we scrambled up to our platform, vowing never to leave until the school was saved. Our friends below had handouts we had made, and they marched underneath us with signs reading “Save Shirley from Destruction.”

When the wrecking crews arrived, they took one look and retreated to their trucks with our pamphlets. But they also called the police. Not long after, the media came. We told the police and the reporters that decision-makers should stop demolishing history — especially a perfectly working building. We vowed we would go down with the school.

The police had aromatic ideas

Our parents were called in. They ordered us to come down, but we were defiant. By dinnertime, the reporters were long gone, our parents had left, the other kids had scattered, and it was just us and a few police in their cruiser.

The treehouse was getting uncomfortable and we were beginning to regret not thinking things through.

Then the police ordered pizza. And decided to eat it right underneath us. The smell of cheese, pepperoni and tomato sauce was excruciating. When they asked if we wanted to come down for a piece, we didn’t think twice.