By David F. Rooney
The sound of children’s voices will never again echo in the halls and classrooms of Mountain View and Mount Begbie. The two schools closed forever on Thursday afternoon after one last year-end assembly.
Oh, teachers still have one more day — officially — and many will put in more than that, packing away their books, posters and other classroom items. But really it’s all over except for, here and there, a few tears.
Established in 1914 and 1967, the schools have seen thousands of students pass through their doors and some of their events like MVE’s terrific Christmas pageants and MBE’s autumn Kokanee Festival and Fall Fair have long been cherished community traditions. Declining enrolment and sheer age killed off the two schools. And while their passing is surely mourned by many, students and staff can look forward to the autumn.
As MVE Principal Bob Cooper put it to the kids assembled in the school gym: “The next time you meet will be in a brand-new school with brand-new classmates!”
That’s something for the children of MVE and MBE to look forward to, but here’s hoping they won’t forget their old schools, either.
Here are some photos from the last day at Mountain View and Mount Begbie:
