The land where Greendale Public School stands today was a large farmer’s field and forest in the late 1800’s. Homer Dixon, a wealthy industrialist from England, purchased the land and built a stately stone mansion with beautifully landscaped gardens, surrounded by rows of Sugar Maple trees. These trees lined all four sides of the property. Dixon returned to England, a Mr. Arnold purchased the land
. Arnold operated a private boys’ college, which was a residential school for many years. This school, situated on the secluded mansion grounds, was known as the Niagara Falls Boys’ College and it was considered to be of ivy-league quality. In 1947, the Stamford Board of Education purchased the building and grounds and they were converted into what became known as Montrose Road Public School. The official opening was held in January of 1948. A ten-room addition was built in 1953 to accommodate population growth in the area. The school was renamed Greendale Public School. Official opening ceremonies did not take place until October of 1955. In 1972 a large portion of Greendale School property, along the southern boundary, was purchased by the City of Niagara Falls. This purchase allowed for the construction of Greendale Avenue, which connects Belmont Avenue to Montrose Road. This development was part of the Queen Elizabeth Highway expansion project. In 1986, the old Homer Dixon mansion (which still formed part of the school) was demolished. In its place, a four room primary wing was constructed. At the same time, a most welcome gymnasium with a stage for dramatic presentations was constructed. Three students, who submitted their design in a school-wide contest, created the Greendale crest in 1977. Each part of the crest bears a particular significance. The circle signifies unity. The shape of the maple leaf is symbolic of the Greendale School surroundings of a spreading playground dotted with Sugar Maples. The shape of the letter “G” in the centre of the leaf is drawn in the form of a geometric triangle. This triangle represents strength and stability. The star at the end of the “G” is representative of the excellence and fame sought by Greendale students in all of their endeavours. In 1999 a long-awaited traffic light was installed on a busy four-lane Montrose Road, directly in front of the school. This was the result of several years of petitioning to the City of Niagara Falls. Looking to the future – in Canada’s bi-centennial year of 2067, a time capsule sealed into the foyer wall will be opened. This time capsule was dedicated on June 28th, 1967 as Greendale’s Centennial project. This capsule contains: messages from municipal, provincial and federal officials, student work samples, photographs of students and teachers, postage stamps, coins, choir recordings and the history of Greendale School. Of particular interest is the last letter written by Governor-General George P. Vanier, just prior to his death, to the 2067 students of Greendale Public School.
