For those of you who are interested... We'll continue to add to this history as we can.

Back Then - 1969-1970 - 30 years

Queenswood Public School opened for the first time on September 2nd, 1969. The eight classrooms were not all ready and much of the furniture had not arrived. The official opening and occupancy of the gym and library took place in January, 1970. The school opened with 275 children and was a Kindergarten to Grade 8 facility. Staff were looking forward to the arrival of two portables to alleviate the already overcrowded school!!

QPS was the first urban school built by the Cumberland Township Public School board. The sod was turned on November 23, 1968 by Board Chairman, Ross Bradley, of Navan. The new Carleton Board of Education took over the school in 1969.

With the opening of the school Queenswood had its first facility for community use and the local Recreation Association and the community at large soon filled it with a variety of programs, keeping it occupied 7 days and 7 nights a week. In addition to Brownies, Guides, Cubs, Scouts, Church services, and group meetings, the local Recreation Assoc. ran Saturday afternoon movies, Teen nights, Ballet classes, Volleyball, Badminton and Dances . (Previous to this all meetings and activities took place in the Orleans Community Centre or in homes. This community Centre and Fire Hall combined were located on the corner of St. Joseph and Maisonneuve, across from Fabricland).

A brief public school history of Queenswood up to 1969

1962-1964

We were Number 11 school section and our children were transported to Ottawa schools. We had our own trustees (4) and levied our own mill rate with no connection to Cumberland Township schools.

Fall 1964 - 1968

A five man board of trustees was elected to represent all of Cumberland Township. The total public school population in 1964 was 443 pupils, and 6 schools existed in the Township, - a 6 room at Cumberland Village , a 4 room at Navan, 2 room schools at Vars and Bearbrook and two 1 room schools. These former schools were replaced by 1968 with two 12 room schools - Meadowview in Navan and Riverview in Cumberland Village.

Fall 1964/67 and 68

41, 68 and 160 students respectively from Queenswood were being sent to Riverview, which had a total school population of 450, (Meadowview had 300).

Other community events:

• Ravine and Centennial parks were being built with Volunteer labour - work parties were organized on a regular basis
• there were approximately 250 homes in Queenswood Heights and a population of 1100
• Traffic lights were installed at the intersection of St. Joseph and Duford
• the major issue facing homeowners was the high cost of installing storm sewers - $125. Per household
• Talos construction was advertising their model homes for $22,000
• Alcan announced the opening of a $7 million, 300 home project in Queenswood. These prefabricated homes were assembled in Woodstock, shipped to Queenswood in 2 halves and joined together on the foundation. Prices started at $19,250.
• Library service was purchased by the Township from Gloucester at a cost of $200 per year from the Orleans Library, housed on the 2nd floor of the Centre across from St. Joseph Church...Library hours were Tuesday & Thursday 7 - 9 p.m. and Saturday 9a.m.- 11 .am.
• the Queenswood Centre Variety and Grocery was selling bread at 2 for 49 cents and 3 quarts of milk for 85 cents
• Babysitting was available for working parents at $10 per week.