Queen Victoria School was built for the Hamilton-Wentworth School District during 1964 in the middle of Corktown neighbourhood of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The school would open in 1965. Hamilton-Wentworth School District operated Queen Victoria School from 1965 to 2007.
Queen Victoria School was an elementary school (primary school) that also went under the name Queen Victoria Elementary School. At first it was known as Queen Victoria School and later Queen Victoria Elementary School.
The 1964 Queen Victoria School building was noted for its interesting architecture. All of its classrooms were built in trapezoid form in the shape of trapezoids. Parts of the school building were similar to a toblerone candy bar. The school had a unique parking lot layout. The parking lot was located underneath the school building itself. The building can be noted for its googie architecture.
Queen Victoria Elementary School used as a filming location for the movie Hairspray in 2005. The filming company used the site for 9 months to record school scenes for the movie Hairspray.
Queen Victoria School was closed in 2007. Plans were made by Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board to demolish Prince of Wales School and Queen Victoria school in May 2007. The school was demolished in July 2007. (Ref: Hamilton Spectator, Plan to demolish Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria schools, Spring 2007)
A new school building was rebuilt in place of the original school in September 2007. In 2009, the new Queen Victoria Elementary School opened and still operates today. Hamilton-Wentworth District School District takes credit for keeping their schools modern.
Architects and residents critiqued the old school building of Queen Victoria School as being built tough. Most local architects wanted the old school building to stand in place for continued use. Local architects claim “the school building could and would last hundreds of years if properly maintained”. Local architects criticized Hamilton-Wentworth District School for letting maintenance lapse just to have an excuse to get money from taxpayers.
Some residents criticized the school for its 60s architecture stating that the old Queen Victoria School was “built like a prison”. Some even criticized the roof and shape of its classrooms for built in form of trapezoids. Some residents have gone as far as to call the old Queen Victoria School building “ugly”. (Ref: uer.ca)
However most parents of students enrolled at Queen Victoria Elementary School are happy and satisfied with the new school building. A majority of parents and faculty supported the construction of a new school building at the site of the original school building that was originally in place.
Queen Victoria School is located at 166 Forest Avenue, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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