Almaguin Highlands Secondary School was blessed with a strong team of leaders who were innovative, committed and caring.
The late 1960s and early 1970s were a dynamic era in Ontario education that began with the publication and implementation of the 1968 Hall-Dennis Report.
Formally titled Living and Learning: The Report of the Provincial Committee on Aims and Objectives of Education in the Schools of Ontario, the foundation report called for broad reforms to Ontario's education system. It empowered teachers and the larger community to make change and put students' needs and dignity at the centre of education. Hall-Dennis encouraged teachers to implement progressive teaching methods, including large group instruction and team teaching. It laid the foundation for student experience at Almaguin.
AHSS Principal John McDermott and Vice-Principals Don Dorst and Charlie Driscoll understood and fully embraced the goals of the Hall-Dennis Report and provided early and ongoing progressive leadership in its implementation at Almaguin Highlands Secondary School
Formally titled Living and Learning: The Report of the Provincial Committee on Aims and Objectives of Education in the Schools of Ontario, the foundation report called for broad reforms to Ontario's education system. It empowered teachers and the larger community to make change and put students' needs and dignity at the centre of education. Hall-Dennis encouraged teachers to implement progressive teaching methods, including large group instruction and team teaching. It laid the foundation for student experience at Almaguin.
AHSS Principal John McDermott and Vice-Principals Don Dorst and Charlie Driscoll understood and fully embraced the goals of the Hall-Dennis Report and provided early and ongoing progressive leadership in its implementation at Almaguin Highlands Secondary School
John McDermott's hiring is announced in the Burks Fall Arrow and Sundridge Echo (sorry, no date)
John A McDermott
Principal 1965-1987
John was raised in Tavistock and completed his grade 13 in Stratford, Ontario. He served in the Canadian navy on the HMCS Algonquin from June 1944 to April 1946.
Upon returning to Canada he attended Queen's University from 1947 to 1951. It was there that he met his future wife Jean McGirr, who was from the Almaguin area.
Following graduation he joined the Hudson's Bay Company in Winnipeg for two years. In 1953 he returned to South River and married Jean. He joined the local school board in 1957.
In 1959, he was hired to teach history and geography at South River Sundridge District High School. He became Principal in 1965.
During the 1960s and 1970s there were many changes to Ontario's education system. John embraced these changes and witnessed, organized and influenced major innovation at Almaguin.
Some of his changes included implementing unique hiring practices to attract the best teachers to the school, and the design of classrooms and open areas to facilitate innovative teaching methods. He worked hard to develop a unique curriculum that reflected the needs and interests of the students and that worked well with the credit and semester systems that he also introduced. He did all of this while AHSS became the regional school for the area and the student body increased fivefold.
His introduction of the Almaguin clan system and his belief in the importance of working with local towns and villages helped to create a sense of community within the school and within the Almaguin Highlands area. It became known as the Almaguin Family.
Through all these changes and resulting challenges, John never wavered in his confidence in staff and students and what they could accomplish individually and together.
John McDermott retired from Almaguin in1987, and Jean in 1990. In Jean’s and John’s retirement years, they did a lot of travelling, often with a Seniors tour group but also to different parts of Canada to visit their family. Other contributions that John and Jean made to the community included helping to organise the original South River Farmers’ Market, taking an active role in the South River Festival of the Arts, the Eagle Lake Conservation Association, church groups of AOTS (United Church men's group), and UCW (United Church ladies’ group), church choir, Chalmers United Church Sunday School superintendent, Sunday School teachers, Masons, curling and later bridge and golf. Two of the longest standing commitments were to the church and, from John, to the local Lions Club that he helped found. In both, he was active for more than fifty years. He was a charter member of the South River Lions Club and was awarded a lifetime membership.
After retiring as principal, John supervised night school at Almaguin. After his time supervising these classes, he enrolled in art classes in North Bay. This was the start of his oil painting hobby. The Village of South River awarded him the Helen Keller Award for community service. Jean taught AQ (university additional qualification) guidance courses at Nipissing University and was awarded both the Shell Fellowship and Olive Diefenbaker Award for guidance recognition. Both Jean and John enjoyed the sports of curling in winter, golf in summer and spending time at their cottage on Eagle Lake.
Mr. McDermott died on January 11, 2024.
Charlie Driscoll
Vice-Principal, 1969-1973
Charlie Driscoll began teaching at the Powassan Continuation School in 1938. He also played hockey for the Powassan Hawks.
During World War Two he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. He flew dozens of successful missions over enemy skies. In January of 1945, six months before the war ended, his plane was shot down over Denmark. He parachuted to the ground safely and was captured by the Germans, spending the last six months of the war in a German prisoner of war camp. He was rescued in June and sent home to Powassan.
He became principal of Powassan High School in 1946 and held that job until 1969, when the school closed and joined forces with Almaguin Highlands Secondary School. Charles Driscoll came over with the Powassan students and became Vice-Principal.
He was a well-respected man and educator, who was actively involved in athletics, charities and community-based events. He knew all of the students by name and would often help families in need. When he retired from Almaguin, he received a standing ovation that lasted several minutes. Charlie Driscoll left a great legacy and the teachers each year at Almaguin honour that legacy by choosing one student who best exemplifies Highlander values, is an all-around great person and student and who is actively involved in the school community.
In Ruth Drummond’s 2010 book, Reflections, she wrote about Charlie when he was Principal at Powassan: “The Principal, Charlie Driscoll was a man of few words and rules. Just don’t break them. Repercussions were swift and to the point. He ran a tight ship, and was respected by both students and parents. He stood at the end of the long hall each morning as the students got off the bus. He greeted each of them by name. He watched as they went to their lockers. If any shenanigans broke out, one bellow would echo over the confusion. Every kid froze in his tracks. Charlie didn’t have to yell many times.”
Another story about Charlie concerned two local families who feuded for many years. They students from these families knew better than to fight with each other on school property. However, when they went downtown at noon, the store owners were concerned they might kill one another. It was expected that Charlie could fix this. He did. The one family of boys were allowed to go downtown on Monday, the other family youngsters were allowed on Tuesday, with alternating days for the rest of the year. “Charlie had such respect, that none of the boys challenged his ruling,” wrote Ruth.
Charles Driscoll passed away in 1991 at the age of 77.
Vice-Principal, 1969-1973
Charlie Driscoll began teaching at the Powassan Continuation School in 1938. He also played hockey for the Powassan Hawks.
During World War Two he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. He flew dozens of successful missions over enemy skies. In January of 1945, six months before the war ended, his plane was shot down over Denmark. He parachuted to the ground safely and was captured by the Germans, spending the last six months of the war in a German prisoner of war camp. He was rescued in June and sent home to Powassan.
He became principal of Powassan High School in 1946 and held that job until 1969, when the school closed and joined forces with Almaguin Highlands Secondary School. Charles Driscoll came over with the Powassan students and became Vice-Principal.
He was a well-respected man and educator, who was actively involved in athletics, charities and community-based events. He knew all of the students by name and would often help families in need. When he retired from Almaguin, he received a standing ovation that lasted several minutes. Charlie Driscoll left a great legacy and the teachers each year at Almaguin honour that legacy by choosing one student who best exemplifies Highlander values, is an all-around great person and student and who is actively involved in the school community.
In Ruth Drummond’s 2010 book, Reflections, she wrote about Charlie when he was Principal at Powassan: “The Principal, Charlie Driscoll was a man of few words and rules. Just don’t break them. Repercussions were swift and to the point. He ran a tight ship, and was respected by both students and parents. He stood at the end of the long hall each morning as the students got off the bus. He greeted each of them by name. He watched as they went to their lockers. If any shenanigans broke out, one bellow would echo over the confusion. Every kid froze in his tracks. Charlie didn’t have to yell many times.”
Another story about Charlie concerned two local families who feuded for many years. They students from these families knew better than to fight with each other on school property. However, when they went downtown at noon, the store owners were concerned they might kill one another. It was expected that Charlie could fix this. He did. The one family of boys were allowed to go downtown on Monday, the other family youngsters were allowed on Tuesday, with alternating days for the rest of the year. “Charlie had such respect, that none of the boys challenged his ruling,” wrote Ruth.
Charles Driscoll passed away in 1991 at the age of 77.
Don Dorst
Vice Principal, 1967-1980
Don was raised in Niagara Falls and began his teaching career there in 1963. His first school was Westland Secondary School and he transferred to A. N. Meyer Secondary School the next year when his father became Vice Principal at Westland.
In 1965 he accepted a position as Commercial Director at the newly opened Widdifield Secondary School in North Bay. During his two years at Widdifield Don coordinated the organization of the Commercial Department.
In 1967, he accepted the joint position of Vice-Principal and Commercial Director at Almaguin. In his first few years he helped design the Robbie Burns Room as a multi-functional learning center for the Commercial Department. Don’s goal was to provide students with educational experiences which would best equip them for the business world.
From 1967 to 1971 - Almaguin's rapid growth years - Don helped to coordinate Almaguin’s innovative hiring practices, which included senior students being part of some hiring teams. Don understood the importance of learning about East Parry Sound and its numerous small communities and he organized bus trips for Almaguin staff to visit Port Loring, Magnetawan and points in between. Don always related well with people. This skill helped greatly, not only with students and staff, but also with the many local community and business leaders.
In 1969-70, Don helped organize the shift system which allowed all north and south students to attend Almaguin while the school was being completed.
Perhaps, most importantly, Don brought a vision to Almaguin that looked beyond the local area to the many other educational, business and travel opportunities that existed. To that end, he was instrumental in organizing international school trips beginning in 1971. Students also remember Mr. Dorst driving a school bus to Stratford and back on the same day so that Almaguin students could afford to see a Stratford show.
As Vice-Principal, Don was always seen as being firm and fair.
Don moved to the Board Office in 1980 and then became Principal of Land of Lakes Senior Public School in Burk’s Falls. He finished his career in education in East Parry Sound as the Board’s Computer Coordinator from 1989 until his retirement in 1995.
Vice Principal, 1967-1980
Don was raised in Niagara Falls and began his teaching career there in 1963. His first school was Westland Secondary School and he transferred to A. N. Meyer Secondary School the next year when his father became Vice Principal at Westland.
In 1965 he accepted a position as Commercial Director at the newly opened Widdifield Secondary School in North Bay. During his two years at Widdifield Don coordinated the organization of the Commercial Department.
In 1967, he accepted the joint position of Vice-Principal and Commercial Director at Almaguin. In his first few years he helped design the Robbie Burns Room as a multi-functional learning center for the Commercial Department. Don’s goal was to provide students with educational experiences which would best equip them for the business world.
From 1967 to 1971 - Almaguin's rapid growth years - Don helped to coordinate Almaguin’s innovative hiring practices, which included senior students being part of some hiring teams. Don understood the importance of learning about East Parry Sound and its numerous small communities and he organized bus trips for Almaguin staff to visit Port Loring, Magnetawan and points in between. Don always related well with people. This skill helped greatly, not only with students and staff, but also with the many local community and business leaders.
In 1969-70, Don helped organize the shift system which allowed all north and south students to attend Almaguin while the school was being completed.
Perhaps, most importantly, Don brought a vision to Almaguin that looked beyond the local area to the many other educational, business and travel opportunities that existed. To that end, he was instrumental in organizing international school trips beginning in 1971. Students also remember Mr. Dorst driving a school bus to Stratford and back on the same day so that Almaguin students could afford to see a Stratford show.
As Vice-Principal, Don was always seen as being firm and fair.
Don moved to the Board Office in 1980 and then became Principal of Land of Lakes Senior Public School in Burk’s Falls. He finished his career in education in East Parry Sound as the Board’s Computer Coordinator from 1989 until his retirement in 1995.
